Acquired Taste
by Kyocera's Vendetta
Summary: Maka hated dogs. Always had. This dog wasn't an exception, even if he was under a curse.. and was actually human. SoMa. Semi-AU. COMPLETED.
1. Beware the Pineapple Box

Edit 08/09/11: Inserting disclaimer: I have no idea how I forgot to mention this, but I hold no claims to Soul Eater or whatever else I might have mentioned.

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 1: Beware the Pineapple Box**

A/N: It sucks, it _sucks_, it** SUCKS.**

* * *

Maka preferred cats.

They were quiet, independent, and could fend for themselves.

Dogs, on the other hand, were pathetic creatures. They were like new-born babies, always needing constant attention, always making messes, always having to show them affection, always having to tell them to shut the hell up when they barked too much. Maka would prefer just kicking them ruthlessly in the face.

However…

Maka sighed in irritation as her own ridiculous conscience betrayed her. She did a 180 back to the alleyway where the damp cardboard box had been abandoned, and peered un-easily in to its rectangular, stench-filled depths.

A puppy.

_Shit_.

It was shaking due to the rain and its damp white fur stuck to its quaking tiny body. Maka had barely given it a glance before she passed it. But no… 'the right thing to do' always attacked when you least expect it. She looked around, hoping some other poor soul would be responsible for this creature. Not a human in sight. Maka ticked off her mental list of positives and negatives.

Negatives:

It will smell, therefore stink up the entire apartment.

It is dirty and she will have to clean it.

It is probably not potty-trained, resulting in the above.

Pets aren't allowed in said apartment.

It's a fucking _dog_...

Now for the positives:

She will probably go to heaven for this.

She could eat it if she ever ran out of food (unlikely).

It would run away once it got better.

It could be someone else's dog; therefore, a reward for its return. (**very** unlikely)

Heaven did sound quite appealing, along with some extra cash.

"Ugh, I hate dogs." Maka groaned but picked up the cardboard box none the less. A small whimper escaped the creature though it refused to open its eyes.

Somewhere very far back in her twisted mind, Maka hoped it would die on the way back to the apartment. The rest of the trip back home was a torturous one. She fought the growing temptation to just throw the box over a gate or something. She kept telling herself it would die if she left it; not that _that_ wasn't tempting as well.

"You want to go to heaven, you want to go to heaven," Maka muttered darkly to herself on her way up the winding staircase. "God is heaven really worth this? It better as hell be…"

She unlocked the door and paused. It was her last chance to dump this thing. There was a balcony only a couple feet away.. Not only that, there were balconies under and above it so no one would know who dropped the little monster. "The perfect plan..hmm."

Another thought struck her: if she was going to get rid of it _now_, what was the point of dirtying her coat to bring it all the way here?

"Ah, FUCK IT!" She kicked open the door. It groaned in protest before slamming against the wall. This startled the puppy. It gave a little jolt, but still wouldn't remove its tiny face from its curled position.

The apartment wasn't something to brag about. It had three rooms, a main room, a bed room (if you could call it that), and a bathroom. The bedroom was not usable at the moment and filled to the brim with books. The bathroom had a tiny shower that had hot water about half of the time (a plus Maka had _not_ expected). Kitchen appliances were rammed to a corner and a squashy couch dominated most of the room. A retro lamp stood next to it.

Home.

"Alright, stink puff." Maka sighed, placing the box on the two person dining table. She clanged around in the bathroom till she found a small bin and filled it with semi-hot water. She eased the puppy out of the box. It had no collar meaning it was a stray. Well there blows the cash theory. Its white fur was damp but Maka could tell it was naturally soft. She grimaced at its puppy nose dripping with snot. Otherwise, it was kind of cute. As if feeling her scrutiny, the creature opened its eyes.

Maka gasped. They were _blood red_.

"Oh no," she suddenly groaned, "It's a demon dog. So much for going to heaven.."

* * *

IT sat alert on the arm rest of HER couch.

It looked quite dignified for being found in a pineapple box. Maka actually liked pineapples... until now. Every now and then she'd look up from her book to glare at the dog. Normally she would ignore it, like she did all things she didn't give a shit about. But oh no, this dog just had to push her limits.

It would not stop staring at her. More like glaring. Maka still wasn't quite used to its unnerving red eyes and almost threw her book at the beast in her irritation, when the doorbell rang. An instant growl came from the other end of the couch and Maka glared daggers at the little ball of fur. Said fur was bristling and looked quite comical. Maka would have laughed if she wasn't in such a bad mood.

"Just shut up and play dead or something," she muttered and went to the door. It wasn't usual that she got visitors so she was curious. Opening the door revealed a tall girl around Maka's age. She wore a nondescript tan dress and her raven black hair was tied in a ponytail.

Damn it. Boobs.

"Can I help you?" Maka put on her polite face. Her polite face being blank and to the point. She didn't like warming up to people.

"Hello I'm Tsubaki." the girl smiled gently. Maka blinked, she was...nice. Her dark blue eyes were warm and her smile lit up the entire hallway though it was still raining. "I'll be moving in down the hall and thought I'd introduce myself."

"Uh... right." Maka was at a loss. People did that? When _she_ had moved in she had made it a point to avoid any living creature in this complex. "Nice to meet you." she shook Tsubaki's offered hand.

"My um… _friend_ Black Star is here as well but he's sleeping," she laughed nervously, "I apologize if you hear any yelling coming from our room. He's.. eccentric.."

God bless noise-cancelling earphones.

"No problem," Maka said, glancing behind her when she heard another growl, "If you need anything just let me know." she added the last part hesitantly. Hopefully that time would never come. Though she did seem okay.

"Thank you very much, have a nice day."

"Yeah. Bye." Slam.

"So there are that kind of people out there," Maka muttered to herself, she turned back to IT, "_You._"

Maka's eyes narrowed when it snarled in reply, "Keep that up and I really will eat you."

A deeper growl this time. It glared at her from the arm rest. Maka huffed, putting her hands on her hips, "What am I doing? I'm talking to a dog.."

She shook off that skitzo feeling and went to go make dinner. The mini-fridge hummed to life and Maka shivered as the cold wafted out of the compartment. Inside was the usual. There were leftovers from the deli down the street, two jugs of almost expired milk (she would probably be having cereal for a couple of days), apples, and a carton of eggs.

Huh..why not.

The pan sizzled to life over the fire while Maka put the oil away. She ignored the dog that watched cautiously from it's "throne" a.k.a. sofa arm rest.

Maka quickly mixed two eggs in a small bowl with a metal fork before pouring the batter in. She used to eat eggs sunny side up; that is, until she read an article on how it was bad for your stomach. She couldn't afford to get sick. Literally.

She threw another wary glance at the dog out of habit. Maybe it was hungry?

Bah. She's not feeding that thing. It would probably just bite her hand and give her rabies. Still.. She roughly placed a paper plate on the floor. It contained the cold meats from an old sandwich.

"Enjoy," she said monotonously before sitting down to dig in to her own meal. As she ate, she pondered the soiled pineapple box still sitting on the table in front of her.

Pineapples burn your tongue 50% of the time. Sprinkling some salt on them helps but then you lose the sweet flavor. Such a dilemma...

She should probably get rid of the box that had housed her bundle of misery. Said box seemed to answer by radiating the stench of wet dog and rotten fruit-

and the dog was _still_ staring at her!

She swallowed her food before informing the monster, "I want you to know, I'm an atheist half the time."

Silence, as if it was waiting for a response.

"The other half," her eyes flashed dangerously with a hint of sarcasm, "I'm an exorcist."

She could have _sworn_ it rolled its eyes at her, she blamed the skitzo feeling again and sighed. At least it stopped staring at her and proceeded to hop off the arm rest to explore its new environment.

One dinner and a bathroom break later Maka found herself hauling the box out of her apartment. She had just set her arm back to viciously chuck the cardboard off the balcony in the hallway when a small trinket caught her eye.

"Huh?"

She plucked the collar from its small corner of the box, wedged between two flaps bent inwards. "Soul...Eater?"

Maka pondered this for a couple seconds as the rain began to lighten up, "What kind of shitty demon name is _that_?"

* * *

+Maka's a little rough around the edges, so I guess she's out of character?

+Can't say I didn't warn you about fruit carriers.

+I _strongly doubt_ I will have enough attention span to finish a multi-chapter story, so guidance to as where this story leads would be humbly appreciated.

+Despite stereotypical judgment, I like dogs. Still, cats are better. Which do you prefer?


	2. I Hate You Conscience

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 2: I hate you Conscience**

A/N: It's short. Yeah.. will try to update soon to make up for it.

* * *

"-and then I was like, 'No way am I going on that!' because I heard from Agatha he likes the cute-type."

"Eh, really? I never knew that. What'd he say then-"

_Loud_.

Maka bent closer in to her book in a futile attempt to block out the _way _too excited for early-school-hours conversation behind her. She hadn't gotten any reading done this morning, seeing as how the _little shit_ thought it would be funny to relieve himself at the foot of her god's cursed _bed_.

Her bed being the couch, _why_ didn't she just kick him out when he was all better?

Huh...good question.

She tried not to think about it too much while viciously air freshening her make-shift kitchen because the little shit refused to eat and so the entire area was pungent with rotten meat. And maybe it was her imagination, but that little Q-tip looked indistinct ably smug as he watched her accidentally spray apple-cinnamon wood scented _Glade air freshener_ in her freaking eye.

A familiar crash of papers and coffee pulled Maka's attention back to the class room. Ms. Mjolnir, clumsy as ever, squawked her usual nonsense as she struggled to gather their graded tests from last week which had fallen on to the floor like a mini-waterfall. Several kiss-ups went to help her while Maka book-marked (she despised dog-earing pages) her spot in mild disappointment.

She wondered if it was a mistake to leave a plate of cereal for the little shit to eat before she left. Like hell she would take a chance with perishables again. Could dogs _eat_ cheerios? Well... they could eat pretty much anything, but would it make him sick?

When Maka ostentatiously smacked her forehead at the thought ('Why am I worrying about the little shit?'), several heads turned to eye her warily. No one dared say a word at her weirdness, even if she was wearing nerdy clothes that proclaimed to the skies "_Beat the crap out of me_!" and was as anti-social as a grizzly in hibernation.

Which was actually a good analogy, considering messing with her would earn yourself a well deserved trip to the nurses office. Her class had learned such cause-and-effect relations their freshman year.

_"Oi! Pigtails!"_

_"This is a high school, little kid!"_

_Maka set her books down with an inward sigh. Her first day of high school, and they were calling her a fifth grader. It was like middle school all over again._

_"I'm talking to you-"_

_Maka registered the arm yanking on her hair _after_ she did a self-defense throw over her shoulder. The mass of __**going-to-be-dead-meat**__ yelped when he hit the desk (her desk, she noted with dismay as loose papers fluttered about) and followed up with a fantastic keel over the side to smack on the tiled floor._

_There was a beat of silence, before laughter roared through the classroom._

It took a good two hard earned years to teach the idiots a lesson. And for once, they actually learned something in school and gave anything that resembled a twig with pigtails a wide birth.

A flurry of notes and one math test later, Maka found herself eating a dry corn-beef sandwich on a bench near the bathrooms. The cafeteria's clamorous noises were dim from the distance. Maka had tried eating there once. Just once.

_Didn't go well._

So she ate away from the death traps that were cafeterias and delved in to a Stephen King novel while sipping on apple juice. Like usual, the pages absorbed her in to its mesmerizing depths, and she could ignore the dreary quietness of the hallway and the inevitable boredom of another day.

* * *

It was with great difficulty that Maka wrestled opened her door to her apartment. Well, tried to at least. Tsubaki had heard her colorful oaths from down the hall and checked to see what was wrong. Maka had given her a chagrinned thanks before slamming the door in her face again.

She really needed to stop doing that. People would think she was rude.

She _was_, but that wasn't the point.

"Oi! Little Shit!" Maka called as soon as she set her books down. She paused mid-step after the feel of crinkled plastic cutting the circulation off her arm made itself known. Oh right, groceries.

She had forgotten all about the small incident at the market where she had toppled over an entire pyramid of canned food (for little shits) in one of her undeniably weird fits.

_He should freaking starve._

_'But he'll die in your apartment and stink up the place since you won't kick him out'_

_And whose fault is that? Besides he's already done it once before._

_'That was actually __**you**__, come on it's even on sale.'_

She hates her conscience. Speaking of the recent blunders her _stupid_ conscience has given her, where was the little shit?

"If he's drinking from the toilet I'll kick him out a window," Maka grumbled to herself and ran to the bathroom. Huh.. she remembered closing the bathroom door.. All train of thought stopped dead in its tracks as Maka stared at the scene before her.

If he was trying to lick out of the toilet...he wasn't getting very far.

Now that she could appropriately assess the sight (and her ribs began to ache as the seconds ticked by) it seemed the seat to the toilet bowl was too high for the _very_ little shit and so he proceeded to do some type of tribal dance involving four legs to some unknown god for help with his vertical height challenge.

Did dogs _do_ pee-pee dances?

Ah, that was it for her ribs.

Maka guffawed and fell on to her back in her outburst. _He even stopped to stare wide-eyed at her like he was caught doing something incredibly stupid!_

Stupid? For a dog, maybe. Hilarious? _Hell_ yes.

There was a small _harrumph_ and Maka paused in her mild seizure to watch the little shit do a half trot half march (yes, **march**) out the bathroom and to the sofa.

Which brought on another round of laughter.

* * *

It was with greatly forced consideration that Maka took pity on the poor fool of a creature and placed a cracked rice bowl filled with water next to the counter. She read online dogs needed to be let out to pee every so often during the day.

Honestly, what _were_ they? Pregnant women?

Speaking of needs.. she wondered what as in the fridge. Dismay radiated from her expression at the contents. Correction, _content_.

One. Lonely. Apple.

Instinct told her to blame the dog. She even sucked in air to yell accusations, but a thought stopped her. If he couldn't even achieve access to the bowl of a _toilet_, a child-proof refrigerator wouldn't be any easier right? It was like the final boss!

Still...

Maka grumbled as she took an apple. She was even at the fucking _homeland _of food a couple bloody minutes ago! And what were the fruits of her labor? (She began her stomp to the couch) Of course she blindly steered herself to the dog care section first! Then, stupid her, made another mess of things with her weird habits and got _kicked _out. At least they gave her a bag to carry the 5 or 6 cans of _useless dog food _(since the cursed thing wouldn't eat). Maybe some television would take her mind off-

It was almost like a cartoon where the strategically placed fruit peel is just waiting for its next victim. Maka could practically _see_ Tom and Jerry as she toppled backwards on to the wooden flooring. Ow.

She doesn't say this out loud -what good will it do?- and looked for whatever caused the ruckus. Ah…

A paper plate sat innocently a couple feet away. Maka distinctly remembered not feeling a _crunch_ of heart-healthy cereal. Further inspection showed not even a glimpse of a single cheerio in sight. Which meant…

Maka's lip twitched in to a rare smile.

* * *

+Yes, Little Shit is his nickname. I'm not overusing an adjective or whatever.

+I tip my hat to all who gave me ideas. I would like you to know every suggestion was thoroughly read over and thought through, and may appear in the story as its original idea or in a modified/condensed form. Props to ya'll.

+Team Cat:8

Team Dog:2

My kind of crowd.

+Answering comments (Since your reviews were so inspiring and made me feel all warm inside I will respond to each of them; your names are in bold because you're _that important to me._)

**AliceUnknown**: Did not even think of half-dog soul but now I am and I like what I see.

**MadBloodCrona**: She was kidding about the atheist thing (I think).

**Rayquaza**: I didn't really get much of Maka's personality in the manga/anime so this is a 'rough' translation of what I see in her if Soul wasn't there. Glad it worked out.

**SoulEaterluvr**: Keep them coming! One of your ideas (not telling you which) actually puts a curve on the story.

**DeadlySereneGrace**: Hm, never thought about Kid. Any ideas about a good story for him?

**Mynameiseliz**: Agreed, creatures are all adorable until they open their adorable little mouths and puke sound. (I have birds)

**ArineRailroad**: You can't touch dogs? Now I'm curious, what's your religion?

**BedknobsAndLlamas**: Team Dog haha, I'm going to steal that name because it is too awesome to not steal. Yeah cats are creepy that way, especially when you wake up at night and their _glow-in-the-freaking- dark_ eyes are staring at you.

**Rocket2SE**: Thank you, yes I face that same dilemma of pet preference.

**Princess of the Not-So-Alive**: That was oddly detailed, did your dog do that to you? Haha. Yeah I have an idea for Tsubaki. An evil idea (just kidding).

**aras the crazy writer**: Wish I had a cat (grumble, grumble). I say that now, while my furniture is still intact.

**Souliel**: Four dogs? Ironic. Yeah she's rough, maybe a little bit of soul (_lots_ of pun intended) will soften her up

**Miyaow**: As for Soul's breed you can see him however as you like, I'd rather not let my personal preference of him ruin your preferred image. Your toilet bowl option inspired the last part of this chapter. I doubt he'll use the toilet bowl though, he's too tiny and will just slip right in (ew, poo water).

+General reply to reviews because I'm a lazy ass who gets up early tomorrow:

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel like a complete idiot for being so hyped about reviews (that I actually updated early) but hopefully the rush order on this chapter didn't dumb down my writing. I am still looking forward to anything you have to say because I'm greedy, sigh.


	3. Bite Me

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 3: Bite me**

A/N: I don't know if I'm being consistent with my writing style from chapter to chapter. Chapter 1 was slow moving since it was the introductory but I feel like 2 and 3 are kind of rushed. Your thoughts?

* * *

It was a lot less pain-in-the-ass than Maka thought to take care of a dog. Well, maybe because this particular brand of _ugly_ was actually a demon dog. Not that she was complaining.

For one, he didn't pee as much as she guessed normal dogs do. Either he found some way to use the big toilet or he was peeing out the window, but dog piss was never spotted nor smelt anywhere around the house. Well, **good**. Because _like hell_ she'd deal with that (much).

He also didn't beg for food. Maka had already labeled the little shit a dignified sort of creature since he refused to do any sort of begging, whining, or other funny dog sounds. In fact, he didn't make any noise aside the hostile growl or snarl whenever Maka was being her normal _bitchy_ self.

He didn't want to be played with or taken for walks. And except for the lone bath when Maka first found him, she didn't have to clean him. In fact, she hadn't even touched him since then.

"You know," Maka conversed as she chewed on a bagel. Soul looked up from his can of god-knows-what on the opposite end of the table, "I'm either the best pet owner in the world, or you're _really weird_."

He glared at her as if to say '_You're the weird one_' and proceeded to eat his breakfast.

Maka shrugged, took another bite of her bagel, and reviewed the notes for the test on Monday. Saturdays were usually busy for her. She had to do grocery shopping, get her laundry done, clean the house, stare at the curious things the little shit did, but today was a little slow.

She decided to do a semi-tidy up of the entire place, but really she was just looking for dog pee, fur, or a gateway to hell. The bedroom was normal, well as normal as a vault filled to the brim with books could be. Bathroom, passable. Hallway, nothing. Maka sighed after an hour of searching and returned to the living room, "Maybe I'm just being paranoid-"

_Crunch_.

Oh.._hell_...nah.

Maka stared in shock as the little shit nosed around in an _opened_ bag of chips. The vermin looked up, and as if to pour salt on the wound, licked a bit of orange dust off his paw.

"You _did not_ eat my secret stash of food you mongrel-" Maka charged at him with every intention of hurling him out the window... and toppled head-first over a stack of books. She felt her shoulder smacking the already wobbly coffee table. It predictably flipped over and she couldn't do a _damned thing _as she watched in horror as Cheetoh puffs, papers, and dog shot over her head and on to the once clean carpet.

Dead silence.

Soul suddenly began to laugh his wheezy-dog laugh before grabbing a Cheetoh with his mouth, making a conspicuous crunching sound, and running off in to the distance. Maka inwardly groaned at the orange dust and Cheetoh crumbs that littered the once clean floor. "FUCK."

The rest of Saturday was spent vacuuming the floors.

* * *

So _that's_ how he does it!

Maka watched in fascination as the little shit dragged over a stack of her precious books (looking very well rehearsed, she bet he's done this several times) to the front door. After completing a rough version of a stair case, the little shit pawed at the door handle until it turned.

And then he went out to pee.

At least he's not peeing anywhere he wants now. Maka had bought him a little mini-toilet for toddlers two days ago. Obviously the little shit didn't do potty training, and had taken it upon himself to do his business alone.

_Freaky_.

Maka scratched the back of her head in thought, she was a _little_ concerned about this dog. Most of the time she just accepted it was because he was a demon. Like the time she had come home after school and he was watching a fuzzy basketball game on her crap-tastic static box of cheapness.

She didn't know if devils liked that sort of stuff, but the little shit seemed pretty absorbed in the game until she had come in. There was an odd sort of connection between them, Maka blamed the skitzo part of her (she knows it's there, it's just easier to pretend like it doesn't exist). Sometimes, it's like she can tell what he's saying.

For example, _right now_.

Soul had chosen that moment to walk in and paused when he noticed Maka, hiding behind the counter, staring at him absently. _What are you, a stalker?_

She stuck her tongue out.

Soul rolled his eyes, _that_ bothered her. She glared at him as he disappeared down the hall. "You got something to say, say it to my face you little-"

"Am I...interrupting something?"

Oh, _shit_.

Caught like a creeper, "Oh...Hi Tsubaki." she greeted sheepishly. Tsubaki eyed the books stacked in front of the doorway (which the little shit did _not_ close) before looking at Maka who was still crouched behind the counter.

"You okay?"

Hah..._no._

"Ummm yeah. Can I help you with something?" Maka would have stood up, until she discovered she _couldn't_.

"Just wanted to ask if you.. you wanted to have breakfast.. _Are you stuck_?"

"_No_!..Yeaaah.. kinda."

Tsubaki cautiously stepped over the book pile as if it were some sort of ritual prop and squatted down behind Maka. She closed her eyes in preparation. "So what were you doing?" Tsubaki asked casually as she slowly pulled Maka upwards. Several joints pop'ed and crack'ed along the way.

Maka stretched once she was all the way up and chose to dodge the question (better to just leave the scene to the imagination), "Thanks! So what's for breakfast?" and she frog marched Tsubaki out of her apartment.

* * *

Black Star turned out to be an obnoxious _bitch_.

"I thought you said she was a _girl_." the _blue_ blob of irritation whined as he dug in to chocolate chip waffles.

That instantly started an epic battle of insults. Ten minutes later Tsubaki had already left for paper towels (they ran out after a food fight had crept in at some point) and Maka and _Idiot_ had fallen in to the ever popular name calling fest.

"Flat-board!"

"Midget!"

"Dress your age!'

"Dress your _height_!"

"I'm back~" Tsubaki called as she placed the paper towels under the kitchen sink. Huh.. when'd she come in? "Lovely, you're still fighting. I'll go make tea."

"Double sugar in mine," Black Star said over his shoulder before turning back to Maka, "And what's with the pigtails?"

"They're _manageable_. What's with the blue? How much money goes in to that dye?" What a waste. They could have bought something useful. Like toothpaste.

"It's natural, alright!"

"Natural my _pasty white_-"

"Would you like tea Maka?"

"Yes please. _Ass!_ Who on _Earth _is born with blue hair!"

"I am! Because I'm a _star_!"

"Black Star, did you want cream?"

"Yeah. _Nerd_!"

"And you Maka?"

"No thanks. Imbecile!"

* * *

It was _supposed_ to be her weekly book-reading-and-being-a-total-lazy-bum day. She was supposed to wake up after the sun had risen, feed the little shit, burrito herself in her favorite blanket, and read a novel while sipping on hot chocolate.

_So how in the hell did it end up like this?_

"Give up yet?" Maka wheezed as curious children giggled at them from the swings. Every pore in her body was drowning. She could feel it. In stark contrast, her lungs and throat croaked in irritating dryness.

"_Bite me_." Black Star leaned on his knees for air, "You...wish!"

Maka was pleased to see he was panting as well, and looking as worn out as she felt. Tsubaki sighed, leaving her spot on the bench, "Maybe extreme obstacle courses around a playground wasn't the brightest idea.."

"You think?" they both retorted before looking equally horrified that they had the same notion.

"What? You pussy'ing out Tiny-Tits?" Black Star jabbed.

"In your dreams, _Little man_." Maka retorted viciously.

"How about a break?" Tsubaki proposed, pointing to a crepe stand not too far from them. Her answer came in the form of drool.

She just smiled, "I'll go buy some."

* * *

It wasn't until sun down that Maka returned home, tired and still irritated. At least the crepe was good.

When she came in she immediately tripped over the stack of books that once served as a stairway. Oh come _on_.

"LITTLE SHIT!" she roared immediately after the stars disappeared, "CLEAN. UP. YOUR. _FUCKING_. MESS."

She saw a dog shaped silhouette peer from over the couch. First he was glaring as if to retort, but a thorough look at her had him lifting one dog eyebrow, _What car wash did _you _go through?_

"Oh, bite me." Maka grumbled and struggled upwards, "I'm taking a shower."

He didn't respond so she trudged to the bathroom, making as much noise as possible short of shoving the medicine cabinet off the wall just to annoy the beast. Hot water remedied her foul mood, somewhat. Irritation was slowly replaced with exhaustion and all she wanted to do was eat and go to bed (couch).

She changed in to her usual ratty t-shirt complimented with sweat pants and dragged her feet to the kitchen.

She was too tired to show the proper response for the spectacle she wearily passed in favor of finding something to eat. Soul was sitting on the coffee table with an unopened can of dog food in front of him, eyes on the telly. How he found the can from the floating pantry and how he managed to open it (it looked too neat to be by teeth) could _shove it _for all she cared.

"Your brain's gonna rot," was all she said as she shuffled to the kitchen to grab a ramen packet from the pantry.

The little shit just gave a snort, _Bite me_.

* * *

+Ah I feel so accomplished, updating two days straight.

+Team Cat: 10

Team Dog: 4

+Review Response:

**AliceUnknown**: She didn't.. but she's sure as hell is going to do that now!

**ArineRailroad**: Yeah soil's weird like that. When I was in Malaysia I also noticed Muslim women couldn't show their faces and had to wear robes. Was interesting.

**Rayquaza**: Wait no longer! And thank you!

**aras the crazy writer**: His time will come.

**Mynameiseliza**: I heard dogs will wake you up in the morning so they can pee. Which is why I don't own one.

**the shades of green**: Comment as much as you like, I'm a sucker for a good review. I'd be happy to hear your ideas though I do have the general lay-out of how this story will go down (plus epilogue) already formulated. Yes, vote away.

**Seddie star**: I had a similar dilemma with "Got a Problem?" by _Marsh of Sleep_. I tried to drink water while reading the second chapter. Haha..

**DeadlySereneGrace**: Because everyone loves a good Shinigami brain apoplexy. I will see what I can do.

**ScytheMeister**: Thank you, thank you. Well it was either dog or shark and I could not see how the latter would work.

**general zargon**: Love that idea, resulting in above chapter.

**Odd'sgirl15**: Yes I'm trying to balance the meanness out to where they're both equally mean to each other.

**Silverwolf819**: Death the Kid would be proud of your symmetrical love.

**CronaMakenshi**: I love, love, love looking at birds. Taking care of them on the other hand..

**Souliel**: Yes that particular scene was inspired by an incident with a friend of mine earlier in the week.

**Iceclawthewarriorcat**: Thank you! I shall try to keep up to your expectations.

**Eurwen de Vrill**: Thank you! And yes, she is indeed.

**Rin Winters**: Took your idea haha. Sadly, Soul didn't like it so much.


	4. Monday: Part 1

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 4: Monday Part 1**

A/N: Story has _finally_ started!

* * *

For this first time in seven years, Maka did not go to school. That sort of pissed her off at the end of the very long day, seeing as how she was aiming for a perfect attendance record, but when all was violently said and viciously done, she knew there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

It all started during a rare, peaceful breakfast at Tsubaki's. She had been invited over again and this time Maka could enjoy toast with home-made apricot jam (she would have asked for the recipe if she didn't have the talent of burning water) without the annoying idiot whose snores could be heard from his room.

The little shit had also been sleeping by the time Maka had left for breakfast despite the rude awakening he had gotten 10 minutes earlier.

* * *

_She bent low to the floor and pretended she was a super secret spy as she silently crept up to her unsuspecting victim. James Bond music sounded dimly in the back of her mind. 3...2...1.._

_"WAKE UP, LITTLE SHIT."_

_Soul Eater lurched awake, making a deranged sound that could _not_ have been made by a normal dog as his tiny little legs scrambled to attention before promptly falling off the arm rest of the couch._

_The peals of laughter had him glaring at Maka from the floor, which was where she was currently rolling, and quickly jumped on to the coffee table before she could flatten him in her euphoric fit. That's what he got for making her painfully clean up cheetoh crumbs and stubbornly clingy dog fur all Sunday!_

_

* * *

_

Ah, she loved torturing her dog.

She and Tsubaki effortlessly chatted of light topics, both elegantly dancing to the tune of shallow-conversation. The pair had come from Japan, and didn't have to go to school since both had completed their GED's a couple months back. Apparently they were living off of a salary but Tsubaki hadn't mentioned any type of job.

They were both looking for a friend who might be in the city. Further questioning came up squat, since Tsubaki dodged around the question like how Neo from the Matrix dodges bullets, so Maka surmised either they were secret agents looking for a highly dangerous wanted-criminal or this "friend" of theirs was very important to them and it hurt to talk about it.

She preferred the first option.

Sounded cooler.

"Do you live alone?" Tsubaki had just asked while resealing the lid on the jam when Maka glanced at the clock out of habit. She choked on orange juice while jumping like a frightened rabbit out of her chair which effectively knocked it down, "I'm late!"

"Have fun," Tsubaki giggled, the picture of ease while Maka did an odd jig-skip to the door.

"Thanks! Oh," Maka grabbed the door frame before she could dash off in to the night. Or mid-morning. Whatever, she just had to go. "Nah, I have a dog." _Unfortunately_.

"A _dog_?" Tsubaki echoed in surprise, "Huh, just figured you to be more of a cat person."

Maka _figured_ it wasn't meant as an insult, she didn't ponder on it too much since her mind was on the fact she was suppose to be half-way to school by now.

Ever so, the jam was worth it.

"What's its name?"

"Little S- uuuh," Maka was still mentally preparing herself for the tornado she would leave behind after ransacking her apartment for school-stuff, "His name is Soul Eater. Bye!"

She slammed the door before she could catch Tsubaki's shocked face.

And that was when it started.

_Hell._

Maka was already fixing her pigtails as she barged in to her apartment, "Little Shit! I'm lea-OH MY GOD."

She automatically threw something she had instantaneously grabbed off the small table by the door at the figure -an _old __**naked**_ figure- that was standing in the middle of _her _apartment before slapping a hand over her eyes.

"What the-_ACK_! _Lady_! Geez, don't _throw shit_ at me!"

"If you're here to steal something!" Maka blindly crab-walked (a hand still over her eyes) with her back pressed against the wall, trying to find something other than _400 pages_ of word vomit to chuck at him, "_TAKE IT_! Everything here is _swap meet crap_!"

"I'm not here to- Oh will you _stop whatever the fuck you're doing_? It's creeping me out!" the male voice (that did _not_ sound very old) snapped in irritation. Maka heard the front door close but it didn't sound like he was approaching her.

"Creeping _you out_?" She shrieked, hand clamping on something the felt strangely like a spatula.

"Alright, alright I'm covered! Just open your eyes already- you... I totally don't know your name." the voice had deadpanned at the last part.

"_Good!_" Maka yelled, "I don't want you to!"

"That would be kind of unbalanced wouldn't it?" the voice attempted a casual pretense but couldn't hide the rushed undercurrent, "Seeing as how you know mine?"

"And that would be?" Maka made a little horizontal curtain with her fingers hesitantly, but kept her eyes screwed shut. He said he was covered, he didn't say _where_.

"Depends, you want Little Shit, or my real name?"

_What_.

Obliviously forgetting the fact the innocence of her eyes could be scarred for life, she removed her hand from her face and, after catching an eyeful of _amazing _(in a very non-perverted way), gaped at him with a mix of blatant shock and skepticism.

_Okay_. He wasn't old (_thank all that is holy_). He just had white hair. Maka took a moment for her curiosity to reflect on all the weird hair colors she's seen in the span of three days. Which was just two, _still_.

And he was covered from the waist down with...

"Is that.." Maka shakily pointed to the make-shift wrap skirt around his hips. His _blood red_ eyes (it was dawning on her now, but her slow uptake on the situation was due to her brain shutting down) followed her gaze before turning back to her in grumpy, impatience, "A blanket? So?"

Not just _a_ blanket. _Her_ blanket.

And _now_ she'd have to burn it. Pity.

He sighed in frustration, scratching the back of his head, "Uh.. yeah sorry, first thing I grabbed so I wouldn't have _lethal literature_ attacking me." He glared at her in accusation.

"Reflex," was her response, warily approaching him, spatula hidden behind her as her last minute trump card.

"Are you really... the dog?" she refused to say "_my_ dog". No way was she owning him after _this _fiasco.

"Yeah," Soul frowned, he had an intense stare that Maka had to actively try not to flinch at, "I was put under a curse. _No idea_ how I broke it but-"

Maka hadn't noticed how close she had gotten (to _make sure_ this was her dog) when the door exploded. Or less dramatically, got knocked off its hinges.

"_**SOUL**_!" an annoyingly familiar and enthusiastic voice bellowed.

"Aw, _shit_." from any other person, the tone Soul had used would have been considered whining.

Only muscle memory accompanied with spatula saved Maka when a _fucking kunai knife_ was aimed at her face. She didn't have time to celebrate the fact she just blocked a ninja attack with an ordinary kitchen utensil when a _bird claw_ took a swipe at her jugular. She stepped back in the niche of time when _another_ claw followed suit for her throat.

She screwed her eyes shut but something that sounded like a combination of a slap and a thud had her eyes open again. She stumbled back and pathetically fell on her ass when she saw a hulking figure in front of her (Soul's back) and he had just blocked _Tsubaki-of-all-people's_ hand...claw.

"_What the fuck is going on_?" Maka growled, but the menace she had aimed for was driven off by hysteria.

"Soul!" Black Star snarled, he looked kind of lost (Maka felt the same way, only about ten folds more), from the doorway, "Why are you defending her? She's-!"

"I thought she was too but she's not!" Soul barked out, still wrist to _bird-wrist_ with Tsubaki who had a bizzarre look of animosity and shock. She kept glancing to Maka every two seconds. _That_ made her feel self-concious.

"Then why are you cooped up here when we're _two fucking doors_ down from you!" Black Star demanded, advancing with more ninja shit ready for the kill. Or the spatula. Either way, this would have been cool if Maka wasn't so _tongue-tied useless_.

"And how does Maka know you!" Tsubaki added, the crazed look in her eye was gone, but her and Soul's arms shook from the pressure the two were exerting.

It didn't seem to bother him though as he looked over his back to the frozen girl on the floor and said much too conversationally for the mood, "Oh your name is Maka? _Boring_."

Maka didn't have enough time to muster the wit within her to respond when Tsubaki gave a wordless, angry shriek in her impatience that had everyone in the room wincing. Soul included, and he yelled something that shocked Tsubaki in to silence

"She's my Meister!"

It would have been silent if Black Star hadn't been so shocked he dropped his knife thing right on to his foot. Tsubaki ignored the boy's howl and curses (as did Maka), looking appropriately flabbergasted for whatever the hell Soul had just said.

"I'm your _what now_?" was all Maka could think of (_what the hell is a Meister_?) before Soul suddenly cursed, "Aw, crap."

And erupted in to smoke.

No one moved as the smoke cleared (the back of Maka's mind was absently worried about smoke-detectors), and low and behold...

Little Shit in all his canine glory looked up at Tsubaki, then at Maka, with nervous red eyes.

Maka could already tell what Soul would have said if he could talk, it was so obvious to her now after speaking dog language for the past couple of days. Even seeing him in a new -very bizarre and chaotic- light, he was still the same as ever.

_This, SUCKS._

_

* * *

_

+Story's finally going somewhere. Woo.

+Will be taking Soul vs. Maka or Black Star vs. Maka ideas (just as time fillers) but no longer taking ideas as to the main plot. But I appreciate everyone's ideas and I can only hope you will understand how deeply indebted this story is to everyone's suggestions. You made this story. Mostly.

+Team Cat: 10

Team Dog: 6

+ Also, will no longer be responding to every review. I am now going to mush in my responses to you all because I am a lazy ass (At least you guys get your own sentence).

(Watch this next paragraph make me look like I'm insane)

I can see it now: Dog throwing contest. Yes I meant a veil, and that hair cover…thing. Laughter is good for maintaining a healthy life-style. This story loves you too. I shall update to your heart's content. Doggy Soul does talk just not in the normal way, I guess. The name "Little Shit" actually had a lot of thought behind it though the idea popped up in about 2 seconds; I didn't want it to seem like an over-glorified term of endearment but also had to have enough personal opinion to _know_ she's talking about Soul. Soul turning human: Yes..well no; you'll find out later. Thank you, shall do. She figures it out..about a couple paragraphs ago; I imagined him mostly cute but with a dignified presence. Hah, thanks I was a bit worried about story flow. Beauty and the beast on steroids..love it (laughing absurdly hard). I don't think she will be doing posters; subconsciously she wants to keep Soul, well soon she'll find out she has no choice (hint, hint).


	5. Monday: Part 2

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 5: Monday Part 2  
**

A/N: Good chapter? _Probably not_. Long chapter? _Hell yes._

_

* * *

_

"I. am. _SO sorry_-"

"It's fine! _I'm_ fine! Don't worry about it Tsubaki," Maka interrupted in exasperation. Obviously, whatever psycho of a demon or m_other-in-law_ that possessed Tsubaki several minutes earlier had evacuated at the sight of _broken-record-apologetic-stalker-child_.

"I should have waited for your explanation! How can I make it up to you?" Tsubaki continued as if Maka hadn't even spoken. Honestly..

"Tea's ready." Maka quipped when she caught sight of Tsubaki opening her mouth again, "Let's go sit down."

Tsubaki stopped short before meekly following the girl to the living room. Maka set down three mismatched cups on the table (and one doggy bowl on the floor) filled with steaming hot jasmine tea. Maka had won a box filled with it at the grocery a couple weeks back and never had an excuse for using it. There was one plus she had not expected from this visit.

She glanced at Soul, perched on the couch, from the corner of her vision and gave him a questioning look. It was like day one all over again.. _he wouldn't stop staring_.

She glared at him, _what_?

The look he gave could have resembled a wry smile, _I'm waiting for your anxiety attack_.

He had a point; Maka rolled her eyes anyways and then turned to Black Star. Who was..

...texting.

_Of all the..__**gah**__, whatever_. She and Tsubaki sat at the same time, Soul having to leap out of the way before Maka could sit on him. He was used to her giving zero amounts of care about if she squashed him like a water bottle at the DMV(1).

* * *

_Maka hummed to a catchy tune she had heard on the elevator (which was _finally_ fixed) at her apartment. She fished through the paper bag containing more dog food and her first ever __**toaster**__. Waffles calling her from a distant breakfast heaven, Maka entered the living room, "Little Shit! Guess what I got that you're _never_ gonna eat-"_

_A high whimper of surprise and pain had Maka looking down, and immediately stumbling backwards._

_Oh. My. __**God**__._

_"Oh shit. Oh shit." Maka threw her earlier spoils to where ever the hell they landed and kneeled by the little shit who was laying on the floor whining in pain. "I didn't see- Oh __**crap**__. I didn't mean to step on you! Sou-"_

_Like a ping pong ball in a cup of hot water, Little Shit popped up, grinned at the shocked look on Maka's face, and ran with the speed of Hermes' winged feet out of sight. After realizing _what just happened_ Maka gritted her teeth, "Are you so bored to __**FAKE YOUR DEATH**__?" she bellowed before her breath stopped._

_No..._

_"__**GIVE. ME. MY. WAFFLES**__." Maka tore through the apartment like a beast from hell._

_A couple moments later, she and Soul sat at the dining table, both nibbling on burnt waffles. Maka meticulously peeled off the parts that had dog teeth marks in them. "I hate you."_

_

* * *

_

"So...where do we start?" Maka asked, at a lost as Tsubaki sipped her tea in a reserved fashion.

"How about how you found Soul?" Tsubaki offered, "I doubt you bought him at a pet store."

"Psh..He _wishes_." She was overly immune to the red glare from the coffee table. "I found him. In a pineapple box in an alley."

"A _pineapple box_?" Black Star finally looked up from his cell phone, he slapped his knee in his laughter, "_Fruity much_?"

_Oh shut up_. Soul growled in irritated embarrassment.

Either he was ignoring Soul, or he had no idea what the little shit said because Black Star only laughed harder. "I _can't wait_ to tell everyone back at Shibusen!'

"Shibusen?" Maka echoed. All these terms were giving her a migraine..

"Uh yes..we er, _lied,_" Tsubaki coughed, appropriately abashed, "about the GED thing, we actually go to Shibusen Academy, but it isn't a normal school."

"Really, Academy's are expensive though," Maka mused, gazing in to her tea which reminded her strangely of herb spa treatments, "Why did you choose a rundown apartment like this?"

"Intuition." Maka had to cross her eyes to see the finger pointing directly at her nose. When did Black Star get on the table?

"Someone as _big as me_ always goes by his gut instinct, which has never failed the mighty Black STAR!" he erupted once more in to laughter, this time with an obnoxious manner. Maka and Soul shared eye contact before the latter leaped off the table just as Maka kicked the underside to flip it over (once more).

Black Star's laughter was cut off as he tumbled downwards in a bundle of yells and grunts. While dust and left over cheetoh powder cleared, Maka replied while trying to hold back a small fit of giggles, "You know...what they say..."

She couldn't hold it back anymore and guffawed while Soul trotted over in thinly veiled amusement to check out his Meister's handy-work.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

* * *

"I see.. and you have no idea who put him there?" Tsubaki asked after Maka had finished her story (editing out the personal battle between dog and owner).

She shook her head, "No, and I don't think he remembers either?"

She turned to him in confirmation and he gave a nonchalant shrug and huff. It's not like they had a mental connection, though it seemed like it some time. She was just _really_ good at guessing what he was thinking, and vice versa.

"And he obviously doesn't give a damn." Maka turned back to Tsubaki, who was deep in thought (Black Star had resumed texting).

"It bothers me though.." Tsubaki finally said after a moment of silence, "How high your compatibility rate is over such a short span of time. Stein, our teacher, would be better suited to finding out exactly high how your percentage is but... it would be easier just to ask Soul."

"Compatibility rate... as in how close we are?" Maka guessed, "Because if you're asking for _that_ I'd say about in the _low_ one-digits..."

"No it's more like," Tsubaki pursed her lip, "How in-tune you are to each other. If you've already learned to speak _dog_ I'm sure it's pretty high.."

"Please, Little Shit is just easy to read." Maka shrugged with a scoff. Or maybe it _was_ just her. She didn't see anyone else speaking to their dogs... apart from the _weirdos_ who dress their pets up..

Maka was occupied with images of Little Shit in a tutu when Tsubaki brought her back to reality.

"_Who?_"

Oh.

Of course Tsubaki wouldn't know of stupid terms of endearment.

"Sorry," she mentally bonked her brain, "I meant Soul Eater-"

Another eruption of cheetohs and questionable dust particles interrupted (once again) and a figure darted from the smoke. Maka drearily thought of how slow this conversation was going with all the pit stops they were taking as she clamped a hand over her eyes and then Tsubaki's (since she was preoccupied with gaping like a fish).

"Oh, hey Soul." Maka heard Black Star greet in a very anti-climatic matter, "Nice wrap skirt."

She sighed and uncensored her eyes to see once again Soul wearing her blanket. She might as well just say it's his, with all the abuse it was getting. It was pretty old anyway (almost pushing 9 years).

It was upon the second transformation did Maka realize she hadn't fully appreciated this form he took. His hair was a shock of white that stuck out in all directions, much too angular and styled to be old in any way. Dog ears perched atop his head and twitched at every little sound (Maka didn't say the word 'adorable' but..) He also appeared to have a tail, or there was something wrong with the back of his wrap skirt.

He turned then, feeling her scrutiny, and coughed in awkward self consciousness. Huh..shark teeth.

"I think.." he broke the quiet, "I figured out why I transform now."

* * *

"...I wish I had a camera phone." Black Star complained loudly while Soul perused through the refrigerator. He boldly kept the wrap skirt and refused all the offers Tsubaki gave him of wearing some clothes of Black Star's ("I will not look like a clone of the Idiot, it's demeaning.")

"So you haven't said his real name _the entire time you've been with him_?" Tsubaki was in disbelief and Maka grumbled something about how shitty his name was ("It's not shitty" responded a figure hidden behind the refrigerator door, "_You're_ shitty.")

"Besides," she flipped a pigtail over her shoulder haughtily, "He has a nickname, a _good _nickname-"

"_Little Shit _is not good and you know it_."_ Soul sighed as he came back with a microwavable burrito. As he peeled the wrapper, Maka eyed his droopy, aloof expression with unease.

"I can see why you hate it when I do that; _why are you staring_?"

"What happened to your face?" Maka had made it a point when she was ten years old to never answer a question with another question. It pissed her off when other people did it and she wasn't a hypocrite.

She absolutely _didn't give a damn_ at that point.

She felt like she was currently flying on some form of reckless auto-pilot, like hell she'd let a half naked man raid her fridge like he owned the place. Like hell would she thwart off an _assassination attempt_ and not call the cops. _And like hell would she ruin her own god damn furniture just to see the pain of others._

Well, last one was a maybe.

Maybe this was the Maka-fied version of an anxiety attack and she was so in shock she just didn't care anymore. Maybe Soul's invaded her brain so thoroughly the world she had been living in for 17 years was pushed aside in order to make room for his _big ass_ _head._ _Maybe hot dogs in packs of eight with buns in packs of six was a good thing._

Maka realized this was what an anxiety attack probably feels like.

And she didn't really care.

Because Soul wasn't looking at her anymore and he had a strange expression on his face. She hadn't noticed it before (She hadn't noticed _a lot_ of anything before) but just under his bangs which fell in to his eyes, a trace of a scar curved from his temple to the cheek bone under, missing the crinkle at the corner of his eye by a centimeter.

It wasn't faded enough to be called old, in fact it could have been made last week, or more if the scar was deeper than what she guessed.

It was as if whatever freaky bond thing they had going on was multiplied ten-fold whenever he was in this half-human form, she could practically _taste_ the bitterness he was feeling, the anger and sadness, and regret.

"Soul?" Tsubaki asked timidly, seeing as how Maka was rendered incapable of gentle speech, "What happened that night? With W-"

Black Star had a hand on Tsubaki's shoulder than, and they shared a moment that Maka and Soul had been having for a while now. Black Star was frowning, and he then whispered something Maka didn't bother to catch because she was too busy watching Soul who looked like he was about to chop something in half.

"I...fell." he finally answered, quite lamely, and went back to eating his sandwich while looking for something.

Maka sighed, "It's on the counter." and then turned to Tsubaki, "So, _what the hell is he_?"

Tsubaki eyed Soul returning with a remote before answering distantly, "He's a Guardian, like me."

"Is he supposed to guard me or something?" Maka asked dryly, returning to her tea which was already lukewarm.

"Well, basically," Tsubaki glanced at Black Star who seemed to share Soul's obsession with television.

"We protect our Meisters. Black Star is my Meister, and you are Soul's."

Something about how she said the last part bothered Maka. Soul didn't _own her_. In fact, it was the other way around! But apparently, Maka was a Meister, and was too fragile apparently to take care of herself if she needed some sort of _body guard_...

...not true. That accurately-aimed kunai knife had _not_ been thrown by Tsubaki. Black Star knew how to fight, if his biceps had any indication, and he carried dangerous weapons with him where ever he went (she had caught an eye full between his fingers when he barged in earlier that day).

"What exactly... is the relationship between a Meister and Guardian?" Maka asked Tsubaki, seeing as how the only other two who _could _answer were yelling like frenzied animals at the telly.

"It's basically what it sounds like, but the guardians don't protect their Meister just because they want too." Tsubaki started. Well _obviously_, Maka honestly doubted Soul would take a bullet for her. _In fact_, he'd probably have been the _one with the gun_.

"It all depends on compatibility rate. For a Meister and guardian relationship to work, the _bond _between them has to at least be above 50% upon meeting each other."

"I see.." Maka turned to the back of Soul's head, "What was our rating, Little Shit?"

"79. Don't call me little shit." he was too occupied to give her his usual emotional answer of irritation or anger. The number was enough of a surprise to elicit a _look_ from Black Star for a moment before he returned his attention back to the game. It seemed if the conversation didn't involve himself or sports, Black Star's attention span would reach its limit at two seconds.

"And that's _really rare_," Tsubaki stressed, "Even the strongest of teams start out in the high 50's or low 60's. You guys seemed to have jumped the usual beginner's hurdle."

"So this percentage can go up?" Maka confirmed, watching Soul curse before 'poof'ing back to his dog form. And there answered another question: time. Soul would change back over time which apparently varied unless it was just getting longer with every transformation.

"Well yes, you two are probably in the high 80's if you can read each other like the way you do. Although most Meister/guardian teams take a while to even gain 1%." Tsubaki informed.

Huh, _that _made her feel a little better about herself. "Soul said something about a curse?"

"That's what we've been trying to figure out, um. Would you mind saying his name again?"

Maka gave a pointed look to the little shit who took the hint and wriggled back under the blanket, "Soul Eater."

And _bam_, transformation. She could probably work as a magician with that trick.

"I never get tired of that," Black Star commented even though Maka hadn't even seen his eyes stray from the telly. She had never seen Black Star so mellow; even she _had_ only known him for a day.

"I do," Soul growled, he looked exhausted, "What do you want, Tsubaki?"

"Umm.." Tsubaki glanced at Maka, then back to Soul.

Soul frowned in response, "Dipshit, you wanna leave for a couple seconds?'

_Dipshit-? This was her own fucking apartment paid with her own god damned money!_ She bristled at him.

"Sorry, Maka," Tsubaki mumbled and Maka deflated. Well, she wasn't one for poking in to others' business, even if that _other _was currently poking in to _hers_.

"I'll.. go to school?" Maka realized in horror, _crap!_ School!

"Just wait outside, won't take long." Soul yawned and flopped on to the couch that Maka had just vacated in her academic reverie. She glared at him, "Or I could go to school."

"_Or you could wait outside_." he glared back at her.

Psh.. Maka decided to leave, her migraine was causing mini bombs behind her eyes and she _just needed fresh air_. She caught Black Star moving to the couch for whatever the hell they were discussing as well by the time she slammed the door behind her.

Bad move for her head ache.

She exhaled through her nose and took the elevator to the lobby, Soul didn't specify _where _in the outside. Maka wasn't usually curious about these type of things. She ran from drama (literally) and about 50 tons of it seemed to be oozing from the three who had just ran her out of her apartment.

She crossed her arms, now in the chilly pre-spring air.

Now that she thought about it, _what was she doing?_

She should have denied anything to do with Soul, she should have just thrown him at Black Star's face and kicked everything that invaded her life as of last Friday the hell out of her apartment.

Jasmine tea included.

Yet why was she getting caught up in all this _magic_? Guardians, Meisters, curses, she didn't want any of this when she moved here. She wanted to leave her excitement behind, with her misery.

"Aw, fuck it, I'm going to school," and she stomped off down the sidewalk, maybe when she came back they'd all be gone. And she could resume the life she was perfectly fine with from the start...

_Alone_.

Her step faltered.

She could hear it as if it was spoken right in to her ear: _"It's not good for someone to be alone, Sweetheart. Don't do too much by yourself, okay? It takes the fun out of doing it in the first place."_

_No!_ She _refused_ to cry!

Maka brought a hand to her forehead which was already hot with the aching it had been doing. She concentrated on the cold sensation of her fingertips while cooling off. When the last trace of any tear evaporated, she opened her eyes, "Sorry, Mom."

_But I'm still going to school!_

And she trudged on. And if the three weren't there by the time she came back, well, she'd hunt them down herself.

"Maka Albarn?"

"Huh?" _Ew_, what was _up_ with his hair? And where did he come from?

"You're Maka Albarn right? From the Pine Crest apartments?" the man, buttoned up to the neck in a thick black coat, stared down at her with gold eyes that gave her a bad feeling.

"Who's asking?" she demanded cautiously.

A gun was pointed at her forehead then, followed by a hard feminine voice, "You don't need to know."

_Bang_.

* * *

+(1) I was at the DMV yesterday, taking my written test (I failed, _gloom_. Missed 7 when max was -6). While waiting about 40 minutes in a line outside, the same water bottle a couple meters away got crunched by cars about 100 times. Someone in the line finally got irritated enough and kicked the bottle away.

+Sorry if the some of this chapter is a little flat. I was a bit depressed the past couple of days (while writing this) but after seeing your reviews (and Wipeout's spring season) I'm back to my kickass self.

+By the way, I _do not_ edit much of the story once I'm done typing it. Other than grammatical mistakes or switching a word here and there, you guys pretty much get the rough draft hot off the word doc. And why do I do this? Because I can only focus so much on something before I feel the need to move on.

+Team Cat: 11

Team Dog: 9

+Review Response Summary/The Section Where I Look Like a Psychotic Mother-in-law:

Yes I apologize for the slow progress but hopefully things will speed up a little (also, my condolences). I don't have a dog, but I do love to scare the hell out of my birds. She was surprised too. I'm glad you enjoy it. Thank you. Thank you. Yes it's finally starting to move. Yes, meeeee too. Oh no, it's not a stupid idea, that would actually be a good base for another story; and it's no problem I always love hearing ideas. Yes it's always the quiet ones (like the butlers). There is a kiss scene, thought you ought to know. I do tend to meet more evil cats than evil dogs, although for some reason the most evil cat I've ever met actually likes me (she scratches everyone else though). Yeah, I apologize for that, I still didn't know where the story was going but now I do~. Yeah he'll chance back after a while, time varies, because the curse isn't broken. I am deeply honored and will try to keep up to your expectations. Never have I heard a story been called glorious, thank you. Yes I doubt any dog can beat Soul at the potty dance, does Buknoy have a meaning? I believe I would have either jumped out the window or hid under the table.


	6. Bar Fights Not In Bars

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 6: Bar Fights Not In Bars**

A/N: It is…confusing. Even I'm a bit confused. If anyone wants an overview, just ask.

* * *

"_Come on, my little princess, what do you do when someone has one of these?"_

_Maka looked up from her entertainment of marching ants to the shiny object in his hand. Oh, this was an easy question, "..Play hide and seek!"_

"_That's right! You're such a smart girl! Run as far as you can and find the best hiding spot ever!" she liked when he patted her on the head, it was nice. The sun was just setting, and the street lights blearily flickered on in preparation for another night._

"_But what is that, Daddy?" he had already put the metal thing away, and had proceeded to pick her up._

"_It's called a gun. People use it to hurt other people." She sat on his shoulder now. Up there she could see everything._

**That's right, Maka thought with grim realization, a gun is a weapon used for killing.**

"_Why do they wanna hurt people, Daddy? Hurting is bad!" The smaller Maka asked in confusion, they were walking back to the house where the aroma of cinnamon apple pie drifted out the window. Feminine humming could be heard faintly from the kitchen._

**Does that mean... I'm dead?**

_The man thought about it for a moment, scratching his red hair with his free hand. When they got to the door he finally answered, "Well, Sweetheart, sometimes bad people with guns aren't good people like us. We might do something they don't like and they get mad. So try not to make anyone mad, okay?"_

* * *

"Are you… okay?"

If the answer depended on her butt, that would have been a _hell no_.

Her lips automatically flew open to reply 'Bugger off' but she smacked her mouth before the words could come out. She was somehow sitting on asphalt from the uneven bumps under her, and _not_ dead (yay).

"…I'll take that as a _no_. Or you're just _really weird_." She could recognize that sarcastic drawl anywhere, even if she had only heard it a couple times. She opened her eyes, and déjà vu sounded like bells in the back of her mind as she stared at his back

How many times would people attempt to kill her, only for _this idiot_ to show up and save her ass. He still owed her for all the dog food, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Pants." Was all she noted at the sight of his sweats. He first stared at her as if she had grown another head, before registering her words, "Oh, uh, yeah. Black Star-"

"What's the meaning of this, Soul?" the female voice again, Maka's attention zeroed in on the dirty blonde with the gun pointed at Soul's chest now..

...which was currently bleeding.

"_Holy_-" Maka lurched to her feet then, "You're _bleeding_-"

"She's with me," Soul responded with that same casual pretense that didn't fool _anyone_. Honestly, why did he bother?

_And now he was ignoring her_.

The blonde's eyes flashed menacingly, "So you're a traitor?"

By the time she pulled the trigger, Soul had tackled Maka to the floor. Maybe he thought whoever the hell this chick was would aim at her, maybe he thought it'd be awesome to stain blood all over her button down. Either way, he was _paying for the cleaners_.

If they survived.

"No! Liz I can explain-" he winced and groaned before he could finish. Must be the wound. "Damn it…_ow._"

See.

When Maka opened her mouth again to tell him he was a complete moron and an idiot something blocked her words again:

_This time his mouth_.

She was too surprised to respond, but not surprised enough to _not_ notice the woman in the background aiming at them once more. Before she could shove him off, he proceeded to _drop her_ and turn back to the fight on hand.

_She_ was about to join the woman who just tried to kill her and kick the idiot in the head when a whirl of fairy dust and whatever the hell else came from a story book enveloped said idiot.

For once, Maka was at a lost for words as she stared at the daunting scythe with a jagged blade inches from her nose. There was a tug at the back of her collar and she looked up at Black Star who had dragged her back far enough to not get killed in the battle that had taken place in her verbal absence.

She didn't try to stop him and he sat next to her, watching the fight with hands that twitched to join. Soul maneuvered the scythe expertly and either blocked or dodged every bullet that came his way. The blonde –_Liz _didn't even seem to need long range weaponry and punched and kicked whenever she had the chance.

"I tried to tell the _moron_ if he would just answer his fucking phone," Black Star sighed.

Ah.

"So that's who you were texting?" Maka asked in confusion, "It took you _one whole hour_-"

"The buttons are small okay! The Big Me doesn't do _little_ things."

"Oh spare me," Maka groaned, flopping on to the concrete all the while plainly ignoring the extraordinary battle happening a couple meters away. The sky was cloudy but bright, and the blueness of it all hurt her eyes. She was too tired of all this nonsense and just wanted to sleep. Or go to school.

Though the faculty probably wouldn't let her whilst she looked like the aftermath of a murder scene.

Was this some sort of divine response from her mental tirade moments earlier? _Was she honestly that eager for all this crap?_

First a demon dog, then a demon _human_-dog, now strange animal-people with weapons you only saw in the cinemas fighting it out in front of her apartment.

She wondered where the normal people were during this time of day to inconspicuously avoid the scene taking place dead center of a usually busy street. Maybe they were all dead.

Maybe the psycho chick with the gun killed them all because she had no idea who "Maka Albarn" was and had thought it wise to just shoot everyone on the block like a freaking carnival game and the funky-haired dude watching absently from far off would give her a prize later.

Maybe everyone were mutant-animal things with fun weapons you could buy at Toys-R-Us and were having a good laugh at the expense of her sanity.

_Maybe this was her god-damned father's fault._

She realized she was having another Maka moment.

There was a beat of semi-silence with a metal-clashing, battle-roaring background when Maka finally said, from under her arm to shield the sunlight, "Moron."

"..Yeah?"

"Can you tell me what the hell is going on here?"

"Uh, figured you'd ask that… Don't freak out (too late), but, well, it's just a guess, but _maybe_ it could have something to do with the call I made earlier before… uuuh, saying-you-were-evil-and-what-not, **so** I guess Kid took it the wrong way and blew it way, way out of proportion and all _and_ attacked you. An honest mistake, really."

Another small moment to appreciate the fight.

"You. _What._"

"Come on, you find a _dog_ and you just take it to your house? _You don't even like dogs_, what were we supposed to think?" Black Star demanded in his defense, rubbing the bottom of his nose.

That my idiotic conscience, which I listen to though I know it's not healthy, told me to and then out-argued me in to a death by canned food brawl at the super market?

"Uh.. Deep, deep, _deep_ down inside, I'm actually a nice person?" and was her pet preference _that_ obvious?

"…Are you trying to be funny?" was the dead-panned response.

Yes.

"I honestly don't know, I just did it, okay?" Maka sighed, finally noticing Tsubaki had a strange chain thing out and was currently in a heated battle with another blonde chick that didn't seem to be taking her seriously at all.

In fact, she was laughing.

"I think I need some Advil."

"The Great Me is surprised that's all you need."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"The last civilian we got involved in this, she had a mental break down and then had to be taken to a crazy house." Made sense.

Not that Maka didn't already belong there, but she could understand the problem.

"Not every day you get molested by a talking dog whose hobby is magical weapons." Was her dry excuse.

"Mol- what, did he kiss you?" he made a disgusted face, a small voice in her head advised not to punch him. She did it anyway, "Moron! _Yes_, he did!"

"Ow! Okay, okay whatever!" he righted himself grumpily, "Probably just upping his _Res_."

He was doing it again. "You're killing me with all these terms. What _the fuck_ is a Res?"

"Right, right. Not my fault I'm used to smart people- HAH! Missed me- _OH SHIT_!"

Hard covers _were_ handy.

"Res is-"

"Short for resonance, which is what a Meister and Guardian team use to power up their weapon and heal injuries."

_Holy-_

Maka jumped a foot in the air (Black Star wasn't far behind), "SHIT!"

"Elegant," the gold eyes narrowed in what seemed like disgust.

"You were over there." Maka stated as if accusing him of teleportation, pointing to the spot across the street.

"It's called walking, I do that." British accent. Cool.

She suddenly remembered something, "You here for a fight?" How did you smash someone's nose again? Or maybe she could do a side sweep.

"No," he rolled his eyes, "I'm a very civilized person, unlike your idiot Guardian over there."

So it was in a mutual agreement that Little Shit was an idiot.

Maka liked him already.

"You know he's my Guardian?"

"Yes," he said curtly and patted down his coat though not a wrinkle was out of place, "And that you saved him, you have my apologies as well as my thanks."

"No problem?" Maka blinked. If this was his friendly mode, they would get along real well, "Then why are they still fighting?"

"Steam." Was his vague reply when a blur of blue and moron catapulted on to his head.

"KID! Answer your _fucking_ cell phone!"

The now known Kid harshly replied, "You broke the battery dumb-ass!" He _would_ do that.

"Use that annoying brain of yours to fix it!" was the bellowed demand. Clearly, fighting was a necessity for these people.

Or they'd probably die from lack of purpose.

Maka wondered what he meant by steam. She didn't feel like making an effort to ask and sat back on to the curb. A moment was provided to enjoy the fact her small mental fit had subsided to casual indifference.

Her life was weird. And she could deal with it.

The new yet equally weird additions didn't seem to want to kill her anymore, but rather everybody else. Liz seemed bored of just shooting and was more intent on smashing Little Shit's face in than actually hurting him.

Kid had Black Star In a vicious headlock but let go when the moron bit his arm all the while playing tennis with a stream of curse and insults as the ball.

"- and don't jump to the wrong conclusion next time, Genius!"

"_You're _the one who called Shibusen and said Soul was taken _captive_!"

Maka could really go for a Gatorade right now. She didn't really like it, and even had a motto for it.

**Gatorade: looks like piss, tastes like crap.**

_But_ it was good for headaches, and her migraine had somehow evolved in to a full-out invasion of her brainwaves and that fire hydrant looked cold enough to put her forehead on.

She back-tracked to what Kid, who somehow turned in to a not-enemy, had said. Resonance. And kissing helped that? Or Soul was just _perverted._

The latter option seemed more likely.

But the more she thought of it, the more it made sense. Soul's wound was gone, the only evidence being a thin sheet of dried blood on his chest that seemed ridiculously fit for a dog who bummed out all day watching television.

She could _feel_ the weapon he wielded and it sung of the power of their freakish bond. She could almost see the numbers in her head: 95%

From how impressed Tsubaki looked from their compatibility rate before, Maka wondered if she should be proud that their rate was so high. Soul obviously wasn't, and was currently in a gun to metal rod clash while yelling things at Liz that had the latter scrunching her brow in confusion yet understanding.

They were sorting things out, good.

From the look of things, Maka guessed Liz was probably Kid's Guardian. She had a brown tail with brown fuzzy ears that was either a cat's or a fox's and slanted markings at the corner of her eyes. Probably a fox.

Which raised the question for the other girl who was still prancing about even though Tsubaki had already ran over to Black Star to pry him off of a highly irritated Kid. She had the same markings as Liz, were they both Kid's Guardians?

Maka could hardly handle _one_, and she now had a deep respect for the Kid who was furiously patting his head down back to its neat form.

"Sissy Boy!" Black Star jeered, which started the fight all over again.

"Hey," Maka looked up, Liz had walked up, and was looking at everything but her with a deep scowl, she wasn't even scratched, "Sorry for shooting at you.._and_ trying to kill you. And stuff."

Apologize to the shirt, "It's fine."

"So you're Soul's new Meister huh?" Unfortunately. Before she could respond, a shadow loomed over her and she had to crane her head to see sweat pants, blood, and red eyes.

"Not exactly," Soul answered instead, plopping down next to her. He looked worn out, "It's not official."

"Is that why you look like you're two seconds from passing out? I wasn't even at full power."

"Bite me." Was his brilliant reply, "I had to use double because me and Nerd Cadet aren't really bonded yet."

"I know you think I enjoy conversations about me while I'm right next to you, but what the fuck are you talking about?" Maka demanded frostily in irritation. These people confused the hell out of her, she wondered when it would stop.

"No more explanations." Soul groaned, leaning back to rest on the fire hydrant, "I want a Gatorade for some reason and my head hurts."

Two pairs of eyes met Maka's perplexed face, one accusing, one surprised.

"That's what happens when you push your bond too high." it sounded like she was scolding him, "What would you do if she actually felt the bullet, hmm?"

"_Then she would feel the bullet_? Who cares! She wouldn't be injured _for real_."

Fighting again. Her head was pulsating pain and nuclear explosions. Sleep sounded nice, maybe some more toast on jam (though it brought all the bad luck in the **world**). And a crepe. Extra strawberries.

She buried her head on her knees as more of the argument transformed in to an arm wrestling match in which Soul lost spectacularly to the other blonde chick (She thinks her name is Patty. Either that of Giraffe.) They seemed to understand she needed alone time, that or she looked like she wanted to kill something.

"I always wanted a turtle!"

"When were we talking about turtles?"

"You mean we weren't?"

"SAY THAT TO MY FACE YOU SYMMETRICAL ASS-HOLE."

"Should we report to Shibusen?"

"Must..drink…Gatorade."

"I. Need a _smoke_."

These people confused the hell out of her.

She kind of liked it.

* * *

+I'm starting to feel like the storyline is mostly explanations. I'd advise taking notes.

+There's the kiss scene for you.

+Black Star is kind of mellow when things are semi-serious. I figure it's because he's older than the Black Star from the original anime/manga so he's not as energetic.

+Team Cat: 11

Team Dog: 10

+Review Response Summary of Incredible Proportions:

Oh, he did, he certainly did. Yes you are absolutely right. It is no problem and thank you very much! Yeah cats have favorites, no idea why though (Even though I'm usually the favorite). Was all a misunderstanding. I try my best; oh I _hate_ allergies. We are all a little evil on the inside muahaha. Yes, no, maybe. Surprised you there, haha. The thing about Soul is I don't think he cares too much about Maka at the moment, maybe later. Cliffies, you can only love it if you already know what happens next. Technically he didn't, but yeah he _attempted_. Thank you, I was worried about all the errors that are apparently ninjas if no one can find them. I can do an overview if you want, I have to look at my own notes every now and then. Speechless, dang I'm good (haha). Llamas all over the world bow to your awesome rhyme; it's fun to say too. Indeed. Finally making his debut, haha. Cliffies are awesome when you don't feel like writing anymore; yeah, it's my laziness at Maka's expense. I do that too and even say it out loud. Don't worry, she won't die... yet. Thank you, thank you.


	7. The Butler Did It!

EDIT 1/09/11: Yeah… I wrote this yesterday, with every intention of posting it up but FF was being… internet-y. I didn't even read this last night after typing it up, and I'm not going to read it now. But I post it anyways.

* * *

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 7: The Butler Did It!**

A/N: It's lame. Yeah. I'm tired. Long, long week. Fun, fun Saturday.

* * *

She thinks something in her head is broken.

It could have been all the crazy people in her life lately, what with their guns that didn't shoot normal bullets and crazy mental-connections that could transform in to _physically feeling each other's pain_.

It could be that she forgot to turn in her books yesterday and now would have to cut down on meat for a while until she could pay back the late fee, and this was some sort of crazed pay back from the meat gods of Meatopia.

Or it was just Little Shit. Either way..

_Her alphabet soup was talking to her_.

Did question marks even _exist_ among the plethora of noodles and tomato muck? She would have vehemently denied it before, but now... now she had to wonder if a certain company had made changes to its variety.

_**Maka?**_

The last time someone asked if she was who she was, she had been promptly shot at then bled on before given a roller coaster ride of ass-kicking festivities. Even if it _was_ about to be eaten, Maka glared with suspicion in to its burgundy depths.

After a moment's pause, Maka furiously scooped up the offending letters and shoved them in to her mouth where she viciously chewed her victims without mercy.

_I would ask what you're doing_, a voice drawled, Maka glanced at the Little Shit who (with as much dignity as a dog could muster) trotted to the center of table and sat, _But it probably would just add to the fact that you're off your rocker_.

Instead of retorting, Maka turned back to her bowl, chewed once in speculation, and smirked wickedly. That concerned Soul greatly, and even more so when she pushed the bowl towards him. He stared in surprise at the too-readable-to-be-a-coincidence letters in front of him.

_**Hi Soul**_**.**

"Who's off their rocker now?" Maka demanded before chugging down a glass of fat-free milk. Her Gatorade craving hadn't let up, despite the fact her migraine had disappeared last night.

_Please.._ Little Shit snorted, _are you so bored to pretend your tomato soup is possessed?_

"Why would I do that? I don't even _like_ you. Why would I say hi?" Maka demanded, snatching her bowl back and scooping up the letters once more. She chews with less vigor this time as Little Shit mulled this over.

_To make _me_ feel like I'm haunted by tomato zombies... or something..._ he was unconvinced at his own logic and peered in to the tomato depths once more. His back visibly stiffened. Curious, Maka looked down as well.

_**Woof**_

It appeared Maka's Maka-ness was rubbing off on him. He first glared at the soup, then at her, _This is your fault_.

"Blame the weirdo, geez." Maka stirred the bowl in zig-zag patterns curtly before two heads -one human, one canine- bent over to see what the edible version of a magic eight ball would say next.

_**Rooftop**_

_What the fuck does that mean?_ Soul demanded at the soup with much too intensity to be considered normal for soup-talking behavior.

"I believe the soup is referring to the tops of roofs, while ingeniously combining the two in to a single noun." She really wanted a Gatorade.

Little Shit gave her an icy stare, _Just stir the damn bowl_. Maka was _just_ about to do so, when she realized something, "Don't tell me what to do, Idiot."

A small pause while the two exchanged glares: one stubborn, one irritated.

"Just so you know," Maka said loudly while dipping her spoon in to the soup after ten seconds, "I'm doing this because _I_ want to know why you're being contacted by vegetables, _not_ because you told me to."

_Tomatoes are fruits, Genius_. Little Shit rolled his eyes before looking back to the soup.

_**Midnight**_**.**

It took a total of 2 seconds for Maka's overworked, hopelessly romantic brain to understand what the soup wanted.

"Did you just get asked out on a _date_?" she blanched at him, "Oh. _My_. **God**. _Tomato-doggy babies_! Gross!"

She stomped to the fridge to check if any of her other food items wished to express their deep affections for the dog on her table which was too surprised to mention all she had in the fridge was a bottle of Pepto-Bismol (he should know).

"...Why is there only pink goo in here."

Heh.

_The game's on._ Soul announced nonchalantly and leaped to the television. Maka peered with suspicion to the smile clock hanging on the wall near the door, "Shouldn't you be getting ready for your _date_? It's like in...3 hours."

_Not if you're my chaperon, I'm not._ replied Little Shit's back as he was currently facing the telly. So it was like that now..

Maka sighed, "You and your secrets, whatever. I have homework to do, and class work to catch up on since _someone_ (she glared at him in accusation) ruined my perfect attendance record."

_Don't blame me because you're running for nerd of the century_.

"Don't blame me because alphabet soup is talking to your sorry self." Maka mimicked before huffing and trudging to the bathroom, "You better mute that shit when I do my homework."

_Whatever_.

Slam.

* * *

Soul peered curiously over his shoulder to make sure she really _was_ taking a shower (a hiss of hot water confirmed such) before returning to the bowl which Maka uncharacteristically had left in her quest for sanity. The letters were already there.

_**Come now.**_

Huh..so it knew Maka left.

Cool.

He was out the door before Maka had even stepped in to the tub.

The stairs were a challenge. Each step was higher than Soul was tall, and he had a good work out leaping up all 5 stories before the chilly breeze of the rooftop greeted him. The city below sounded with honks of delayed traffic and the yowls of harassed cats.

"Aww..you're _so_ adorable in that form. You should be thanking me." a predatory voice cooed from the shadows. Soul's fur was up and he was barring his teeth the moment he spun around. The light barely revealed the curve of a tall woman with a witch hat. One golden eye could be scene and it narrowed while she grinned.

_Blaire_. he growled.

"Oh don't be like that," she pouted. Her heels made obnoxious clacking noises as she strode on up to him, "At least I was nice enough to leave your new..._Meister_ out of this, hmm?"

_Yeah, I found a Meister. So why am I still in this ridiculous form? The curse should have worn off by now. _ he demanded, she knelt before him with a cat-like smirk.

"You should know this answer already," she chided mockingly, "That girl doesn't truly acknowledge you as her guardian. As long as you keep up… whatever relationship you two have, you will _never_ be truly bonded."

_We're already up to 80%-_

"You know _why_ your bond with the girl is so high?" Blaire grinned then. But Soul already knew.

"It is _because_ you're a dog that you've found someone. And _every time_ you turn human, that girl will grow even more and more distant. You've seen it too right?" she taunted.

That's right.

Maka hated men.

It was so _obvious_.

"My debt to Medusa is paid," Blaire chirped as she stood up and stretched, "You are no longer in her way. So I feel no guilt in telling you Eruka the Frog is going to kill the death god's son."

_What?_

But she was already gone in a puff of purple smoke, very similar to his own when he transformed. Soul stood there for a moment, completely confused and very irritated.

Honestly...that Blaire. She needed to _pick a fucking side_ and stick to it. Although, Soul had to think about this, she _did_ say she had a debt with Medusa (just thinking her name made him want to puke). Maybe Blaire.. wasn't their enemy?

But that was pure nonsense, she was the one who put the curse on him in the first place! But she had saved him... and she came all this way to warn him about Kid.. Oh crap, he was starting to feel _bad_.

Maybe Maka could help.. but no, he had dragged her in enough already. And she showed her frustration in a too weird way for him to handle (Wanting a Gatorade? Seriously?). What if she found out about his previous Meister..

_What if she'd want Mountain Dew if she did find out?_ (1)

Even though his brief stand-off with the cat witch lasted around 30 seconds, his staircase adventure took about 30 _minutes_, and he entered through the open door to a Meister who was calmly watching food network on the telly.

She obviously could feel his presence (or she was really good at her cues) because she turned around the moment he spotted her from around his book staircase. She turned off the TV (not a good sign), stood up, and turned to him.

"I _might_ regret this later," she started, he felt a long night coming, "But if you don't tell me what's going on, I'm adding a chain lock to that door.

_Fuck._

* * *

+ (1) Soul hates Mountain Dew.

+Sorry it's short. Sorry it took so long. Sorry I didn't mention Blaire's boobs.

+ "The Butler Did It!" referred to how we finally know who cursed Soul. Woo. No, she's not a butler. Usually.

+Response and Stuff:

I know I say I will, but I'm finding it harder and harder to do so; I still will, regardless. Ooh Maka/Kid romance, maybe, maybe. Now you make me giggle every time I type the word 'bond'. Er… I forgot to explain it (Oops); maybe next chapter. Yes, alive and kicking; yeah Maka's got a dirty little secret (not really, haha). Gatorade is actually pretty good (when not looking like pee..and warm). You better hide that from Maka. Thank you, will try. Oh good it's not turning in to a total disaster for one person (yay). Thanks. Hah, I noticed that too. Any anime guy would (I think), I'm kind of waiting for this to fit together myself. Yeah, her life sucks. Thank you.

+Team Cat: 13

Team Dog: 12

+I'm not even going to read what I wrote. Good night.


	8. Wounds

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 7: Wounds**

A/N: Okay. I have been _very _busy. Funny thing was, after I realized I could finally take a break, I decided to paint my nails. It was only after I was finishing up the coat on my pinky that I remembered Acquired Taste. My nails rock by the way. They're sparkly.

* * *

Soul added sitting in bathtubs on to Maka's growing list of "weird way to handle things". It had long since dried from her previous shower but she didn't seem to notice.

He _strongly_ doubted she was having a panic attack. She looked like she was concentrating hard on something. Either the plug to her bath was extremely interesting, or she was still mulling over the facts he had given her.

"So.." she said and it made Soul look up in expectation, "Witches exist?"

_Pretty much_.

"And they're out to kill us all."

_...In a nut shell._

"And one of them asked you out on a date via alphabet soup?"

_Yes- err no. That was more of a...hello and good bye sort of thing_.

"So she won't turn you back?"

_She can't_.

Maka snorted, running a hand through her semi-dry hair, "That's stupid, are you making this up?"

Soul rolled his eyes and sat back on to the toilet seat, _Everything I told you, and you ask that?_

"I kind of wasn't listening to everything else-"

_What_.

"-but I have an okay grasp on it. So. Are you making this up?"

_Yes, I enjoy lying to the girl who threatened to make me pee myself_.

"There's a perfectly good training potty right over-"

_Don't even start_. he growled in exasperation and leaped off the toilet, _It's late, don't you have school or something?_

"Yeah, yeah." she yawned and stood up.

_Can I use your phone?_ he asked suddenly and she peered at him in amusement, which quickly turned in to curiosity.

He had the look of someone who just found out he forgot to put on his pants, "Forget something? Like the fact that you _can't talk_."

That stumped him for a bit. Then he grudgingly looked back up to her.

"No," she answered simply as she breezed out of the bathroom.

_Oh come on,_ he whined as he ran to catch up with her, _I need to talk to Kid. You like Kid right?_

"Right up to the point where he started _messing with my bra straps_. He's obviously gay, which would explain the hair.."

_It's important,_ he jumped on to the arm rest while Maka made her couch/bed ready.

"What is and isn't important can be determined tomorrow." she yawned again and fished for her hair tie, "Besides, I _do_ have school in about-"

She checked the clock and groaned, "Four hours, so I'd appreciate much needed beauty sleep."

_What beauty_. he shot at her and dodged when a fist landed where his tiny body used to be.

"_Goooo awaaayyy_." she whined pathetically and pulled the (new) covers over her head. Soul huffed in annoyance before running to her bedroom.

He felt like Indiana Jones, looking for sturdy, solid books while trying to not get crushed by any of its brethren which were stacked up to the very ceiling. It took his usual stack of books and pawing at the doorknob for him to be flying to Tsubaki's.

* * *

She was oddly chipper for 4 in the morning, and he said so, not that she could understand him, while brewing some tea and handing him a small portable white board with an EXPO marker.

She chatted effortlessly, knowing Soul was listening and was interested in Shibusen life without him. Kid had made it to Shibusen safely (that calmed Soul down somewhat and he wrote with less vigor after that bit of news).

Some of his fan girls were threatening whoever gave Kid the black eyes (Maka. And then Patty, who was asked to do so because he wanted his eyes symmetrical) in hopes of impressing him. Ox and Kim had broken up again but were on the steady road to making up.

They had a new student now, a girl named Chrona who was really shy but also really nice. Harver was in jail for a while for illegal electrical wiring in his apartment with no permit. She and Black Star were here to await the decision of Lord Death on what to do with Soul and his new...meister yet not meister.

And by the time the tea was ready, he had the board propped up and ready for her. She read with growing concern, lowered the tea back on to its plate, and stood up.

"Black Star!" an obnoxiously loud snore responded and she sighed. Soul erased the board while she went to wake him up. There was a grunt, a whine, then a yelp coupled with a thud, before Black Star shuffled out of his room in a grumpy daze. "Soul," that woke him up somewhat, "What are you doing here?"

Soul was already writing while Tsubaki filled him in.

"Kid has been targeted for assassination," Black Star cursed at this news.

"Is it Medusa again?"

Tsubaki grimly nodded and peered at Soul's board.

_**Medusa sent Eruka the Frog**_

"That chick is _weird_." as if Black Star was one to talk. He took Tsubaki's cup for himself before asking the little shit, "How do you know this?"

"Blaire," Tsubaki answered instead, "Apparently she's on our side now."

"And you believed her? Are your doggy brains that stupid?" Black Star shot at the canine who growled in reply.

"Well it's hard to tell with Blaire," Tsubaki reasoned, "She has always been flitting on the edge of witches and guardians- yes, Soul?"

He held the board up with his teeth,

_**She owed Medusa for something**_

"That explains a lot," Black Star gulped his beverage, "Tsubaki, go make the call."

Tsubaki nodded and exited while Soul held up the board again.

_**Any news about Maka?**_

Black Star shook his head, "Lord Death hasn't made a decision yet. You two will probably have to head to Shibusen soon for evaluation."

_**She's not going to like that**_**.**

"Whipped already dog-boy?" Black Star cackled. Until a white board was thrown at his face.

Tsubaki returned to a death match of growling.

As if this was the norm (which it was) she smiled politely at Soul, "Thanks for the news. Kid should be safe now that we've gotten a pre-warning."

Seeing as he had lost his only means of communication, Soul just nodded and jumped off the table.

"Heading back to Maka?" Black Star jeered. Soul ignored him.

Of course he was. If Maka woke up and he was gone _again_... maybe she'd take away his _eating _privileges.

That would suck.

* * *

Maka wondered why the entire population was staring at her.

Alright, she conceded "entire population" was a little melodramatic, however "every living thing with eyes within a 20 foot radius" didn't sound much better either.

It's not like anything was _different_. That was also a lie, but they didn't know that. Her uniform, fresh from the cleaners (after a half-assed story about some nose bleed incident gone horribly wrong), was blood free. She was even doing her homework, which was totally weird-free despite the fact she was doing yesterday's work load. Still, she had an excuse _("I had a cold", "Oh dear...are you feeling better?", "Yes, I'm fine now thanks.")_. Perfectly normal.

Her class didn't think so apparently, and every now and then Maka's ears would twitch at the sound of her name being whispered amongst the sea of gossip surrounding her.

She tried to focus on the lesson, but if knocking over her desk (and several others) in one of her fits of insanity after getting to a good part of her book didn't provoke any sort of talk about her, then obviously this had to be important.

And then she caught it. The vital information she craved:

"Her _hair_-"

A hand automatically flew to her pigtails...which happened to not be there. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized she forgot to do her hair today. With all the drama that had happened yesterday, she had completely ignored the _one thing_ society expected of her: her pigtails.

She automatically blamed the little shit, as was tradition. Anything unnatural in her already seriously abnormal life could always be traced back to him and his even more abnormal life. If yesterday was any consolation, Maka could have been the Dursleys from Harry Potter.

Which would make the little shit Harry Potter.

As she banged her head on the desk in an attempt to _focus,_ the whispering stopped to observe her erratic behavior, before going back to full volume about how freaky Maka looked without pigtails.

The male fraction of the room had to admit, she was kind of hot.

Maka deftly stood up at the sound of the bell, determined to offer her life to homework during the next period without any interruptions. She viciously fought with her conscience the entire way to Economics, accidentally upsetting two trashcans, running in to a wall, and knocking over the line for the drinking fountain (which caused a domino effect until only Maka was left standing).

Her conscience argued to think over what Soul had revealed to her yesterday, Maka hissed back she had important things to do. Much more important than little shits with their strange childhood and dead meisters.

Fuck.

Ten minutes in to class, Maka felt like crying when she caught herself wondering what Soul's previous meister was like, reading the same paragraph over and over like an idiot. She wasn't in her usual front seat in Economics, but at the far back in a corner next to a mammoth-looking boy who eyed her warily from his peripheral as if she would snap at any moment.

She ignored him, furiously scribbling away at the worksheet she had gotten from Calculus. The thing about numbers, it was all busy work, nothing requiring any type of brain function. Maka drifted off in to Yesterday-land.

After meeting Soul's 'friends' who may or may not have caused a mini apocalypse on Jane Street, Maka had happily kicked Weirdo number 4 and his duo-wonder guardians off the street and out of her life. It was only after the four residents of the Pine Crest apartments crammed in to a tiny elevator that Tsubaki explained 'Kid had to leave for Shibusen anyways' and that she and Black Star were to stay here until the decision from Lord Death was made.

Whoever the hell _that _was.

Which then rolled in to Soul disappearing off in to the night to meet with some incognito cat-witch that has an on/off relationship with "the good side" but is half the time cheating with "the bad side". All events leading to Soul grimly sitting on the coffee table, the telly not on for once, explaining himself.

And Maka was not happy.

_Not at all_.

There was a cracking sound, and the mammoth-man peered to the right uneasily to wince at Maka's mutilated mechanical pencil. She shot him a look and he pretended to be interested in the chrome clock above the door, all the while sweating bullets.

Meisters and Guardians were created to kill witches. Which meant Maka, being a Meister, would probably have to do the same.

"Fuck you, Little Shit.."

"Excuse me?"

_Oh,_ did she say that out loud?

From the looks mammoth man was giving her. _Probably_.

"Talking to myself," she explained but he didn't seem to be buying it.

"First you steal my seat, give me creepy looks, now you're calling me out? _I don't care _if you're the nerd from hell anymore! I'm gonna smash your face in-"

Maka registered the fist squashing her face as she toppled out of the plastic chair. She felt the familiar rush of outrage and euphoria as she leaped back to her feet in a snarl, not caring that the class room had become dead silent.

The fight that followed required one teacher and three very serious bodyguards to break up, all the while students left and right were betting on the outcome.

* * *

Gatorade.

Maka jammed her key in to the lock before opening the door. The usual crap greeted her as she shuffled inside. Her face ached, as well as several important organs and limbs.

Gatorade.

She dropped her bag next to the sofa before trudging to the kitchen. The sound of a basketball game didn't even reach her ears. She had a quest to accomplish.

Gatorade.

Giving the contents of her fridge a one-over, she shut the door in disappointment.

Gatorade.

_Stop thinking about Gatorade you dork!_

Her silence had him turning around to bark more insults at her. Said insults were stuck in his throat as he took in the dirty and ripped clothes, bruises, cuts, and swelling. She gave him one tired glance before heading to the bathroom.

He followed silently.

_What happened?_ Soul asked as she set down a box of bandages, disinfectant, gauze, and cotton balls.

"A fight," she answered absently, her voice was gritty, like she had been growling all day.

..._Does this happen often?_ Soul asked, meticulously watching how she nursed her wounds with practiced movements.

She just shrugged, which sent a burst of pain through her right arm. Maka winced, glancing to her shoulder which she finally noticed was at an odd angle. "Hand me that dumbbell."

Even as she said this, she just grabbed the small object herself and Soul watched in horror as she placed the two pound weight in between her teeth. _Wait.. you're not gonna_-

Her scream was muffled as she popped the joint back in place.

_What the __**hell**__ is wrong with you?_

"What... I'm not going to go around forever looking like the hunchback of Notredame." Maka said bitterly after she spat out the dumbbell.

_Don't they have school nurses for this sort of stuff?_

"Ah... I didn't think about that." Maka paused in her dabbing of a nasty scrape on her knee. She heard a sigh before a quiet demand, _Say my name_.

"_Why?_" she asked but conceded after his glare because she was too tired to argue with him, "Soul Eater."

There was a small poof and a large hand plucked the tweezers she was holding from her hand.

"You are an idiot." he informed her while cleaning the wound, eyes not even looking up at her. Maka just blushed at his nude state (and the fact their proximity was way beyond her limit) and chose to avert her eyes.

It was quiet as Soul bandaged her. Maka realized he was just as good, if not better, at dressing wounds as she was. She supposed that would be obvious, as he was fighting all the time.

However, it was kind of weird. He tied bandages just like her (not too loose, a little too tight so that it would stay in place), used the same dabbing technique she had learned by herself, he even pressed the corner of the bandages to make sure the wound wouldn't bleed through just like she did.

"Did you get mobbed on your way to Dorkville or something?" he finally spoke while putting her medical kit away.

"No," Maka scratched the back of her head, "Someone thought I insulted them, went ape shit on me."

"Ah, _did _you insult them?"

"Nah," she stood up off the toilet to look at her face in the mirror, "I talk to myself if you haven't noticed."

He didn't answer, which was wise. Instead he asked, "Did you win at least?"

"Of course," she grinned, which hurt her split lip. He had to grin back before frowning. Before she could question what was wrong, he erupted in to smoke.

_This really sucks_. the voice Maka had grown used to complain, and doggy Soul trotted back to the telly with a dejected hunch.

_You know… I liked you with pigtails better._

Maka just rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse to go buy as much Gatorade as a shopping cart could allow.

* * *

Maka was quiet as Soul filled her in on the finer details while she got ready for bed.

He was still explaining the mechanics of how syncing "wavelengths" would increase weapon potency when she gave a large groan and flopped on to her couch. "Can't you just be a dog and _not talk_?"

_...You know, for a nerd. You don't take information very well._

"Oh, bite me." Maka smacked a hand over her eyes to block out the light. She heard Soul leap off the table and then the click of a lamp, "Thanks."

_No problem._

"So. Summary. Kill witches."

_For now, we'll settle for one._

Maka uncovered her eyes to see the silhouette of little shit jump on to the arm rest.

_Medusa the Lady of Gorgon. She's a snake witch. We kill her, the curse is lifted._

"I thought you were cursed by a cat witch," Maka was already pulling the blankets over her head.

_Like I said, Blaire did so to pay a debt. So, technically, it was Medusa's curse._

"Doesn't make sense..." Maka yawned, "Just so you know..."

Pause.

"Even if this Medusa herself shows up on our doorstep, I'm going to school."

…_**Our**__ doorstep?_

Maka ignored his smug aura in favor of irritated silence. She slowly drifted off, not caring that Soul had decided it would be cool to curl up next to her stomach instead of on the arm rest.

* * *

+Will count Team Domesticated Animals later. (Unless someone wants to do it for me)

+I can't stop staring at my nails.

+Sorry I update slow.

+Might start writing Fairy Tail fics to get the addiction out of my system so I can focus on Soul Eater. Any ideas?

+Response

Let's just say he found out Mountain Dew isn't good for males. You can't go wrong with talking edibles. I wish I read your review before totally shooting down any Kid/Maka interaction; sadly nothing goes my way, sigh. Locks: Soul's arch enemy. Harumph! No, no, no your asking me to update only fuels me to actually update (so thank you). I wonder about that too. Sorry, sorry, will try to update more often! You have just saved my self-esteem, I thank thee (because I feel like this story is going downhill). Haha maybe maybe…the ideas just keep flowing. Shall do!


	9. We're Off To See The Wizard!

**Acquired Taste**

**We're Off To See the Wizard**

A/N: I _seriously_ want a burrito. With eggs. Lots of eggs. And hash browns, with the garlic stuff. And cheese, but not too much. No need to look pregnant.

* * *

_She was five again._

_It was Christmas, and presents by the tree lay forgotten. She stared in sleepy confusion, clutching Mrs. Agnes in one small hand, watching her mother kneeling at the doorway. Her face was hidden in her hands, and her back was hunched over._

_She was crying._

_She unconsciously squeezed Mrs. Agnes' fuzzy hand before quietly walking towards the doorway. Her mother got larger and larger the closer she grew, and she wondered where daddy was to comfort her. Mommy wasn't supposed to cry._

_It was wrong._

_"Mommy?" she asked quietly, reaching to pat her mother's beautiful golden hair._

_"Don't touch me."_

_This wasn't her mother. The voice was vicious and cruel, everything her mother wasn't. There was a pause and Maka took one step back; back to the stairs where everything had been fine a moment ago. Her mother sat there, quivering but no longer sobbing._

_"J-just...leave Mommy alone for awhile Maka... go open your presents.."_

_"Where Daddy?" Maka piped in confusion, "He say he wants to take pitchures-"_

_" Just **go**, Maka!" it was the stranger again._

_She fled to her room._

* * *

"Ngh..."

A dream.

Maka sighed inwardly, she hadn't had that dream for a while now. There was no alarm buzzing her brains out, so she figured she woke up early. But strangely enough, it was bright behind her eyelids.

Opening of said lids revealed a vast expanse of amused blood red.

Maka squawked (rather unsightly really), before proceeding to flail and there was a tiny moment of heart failure before she was on her feet, fuming at the laughing man sitting on the couch (naked, of course).

"_What the fuck do you think you're_-"

"Do you know you talk in your sleep?" he interrupted nonchalantly, inspecting a undeniably sharp claw. She paused, horror catching up to her slow functioning consciousness.

"And would you look at that... you said my name! Twice. No, no wait," he paused in mock pondering, "Pretty sure it was more than twice.."

"_Enough!_" Maka ordered in outrage, throwing a pillow at him to relieve herself of seeing that infuriating smile that grew ten-fold on his ugly (yet hot) mug. "Why are you sleeping on the couch anyway? The couch is _mine_."

"You didn't seem to mind last night." Oh _fuck_ him!

She stomped to the kitchen instead, intent on finding something pointy to accidentally ram in to his rear. There was a spatula.

Good enough.

"Hah! You should have seen the look on your fa-"

The sound of his yelp was the best alarm clock she had ever heard. She watched in glorious vendetta as he careened off the couch to smack on to the table. When the coffee table split in two, the smile disappeared, but reappeared when yesterday's orange juice splashed him right on his nose.

_Ah, vengeance is sweet._

He cussed like a sailor, a fact Maka didn't mind as she casually strolled to the cabinet with an air of enlightenment.

That was the scene Tsubaki walked in upon.

"Uh..."

Oh _god_. Oh_ no_. Oh well.

"Hi Tsubaki, breakfast?"

"I just ate, thanks. Soul where are the pants Black Star gave you?"

"-_fucking want to kill her if you give me ONE GOD DAMN SECOND-!_"

"I washed them. They smelled like stale potatoes, so I figured I'd be nice." Maka smiled brightly in sharp contrast to the waves of hate radiating from the couch.

Tsubaki unconsciously took a step back, "Well... just came to say Black Star and I are to take you to Shibusen today. Lord Death wants to meet you."

"That's lovely," her smile never faltered as she turned a slice of bacon over to simmer, "But I have school in-"

Horror plunged in her stomach when she looked at the clock.

"Two hours ago..._SHIT_."

She cursed Soul all the way out the door.

In her pajamas.

* * *

It had taken Maka until the gas station to realize people were staring at her duck imprinted behind. She instantly took off back home, ignored Soul's laughter, then threw a frying pan at him. She also ignored his casual thanks to the free bacon as she sped to school, tying her hair as she sprinted.

The class didn't seem all too surprised when she came in late for third period. She must have set some sort of bar with the whole hair scandal, and it would probably take flying monkeys to impress them now.

_Tap, tap_.

Or, at least Black Star.

She could only stare in furious disbelief at the _moron_ who perched outside the second story window, grinning at her like an idiot.

Which he was.

_Tap, tap, tap_.

Before heads could turn, Maka stood up abruptly. Several heads who were already pre-turning to the window, swiveled around to stare at Maka in confusion.

"Bathroom." she stated gravely, before exiting the class, causing several more whispers. She ran in to him almost immediately while rounding a corner.

"You _bastard!_ Why are you here?"

"To take you to Shibusen." he stated, as if it were obvious.

"If you didn't _notice_. I am at school, don't bug me for another 4 hours!"

He opened his absurdly big flap again but she hushed him with a glare, "_Go. Home._"

"That's what I want to do," he almost whined, putting his hands behind his head, "_But I have to take you with me_."

"As...creepy as that sounds," Maka coughed, looking back in longing to the door to Economics, "I have a test tomorrow so if you don't mind-"

He already had her over his shoulder, flying out the window, before she could blink.

* * *

There wasn't a lot of coherent thought on the way back to the apartment.

Mostly screaming.

Which was mostly Maka.

"_PUT ME DOWN! OH MY GOD I'M GOING TO THROW UP! SOMEONE HELP ME!"_

There was a lot of that type of dialogue. Nothing too original, as far as kidnapping went. But sometimes there was just wordless shrieking.

At least it drowned out Black Star's laughter.

It took several awkward pats from Tsubaki to hoist Maka in to the elevator. She vaguely wondered what type of muscle it took for a human to jump that high, only to not freaking care because she would _never _enjoy another roller coaster again.

She didn't realize three severely pushy people were packing _her _stuff until after a car door slammed in a muffled thud next to her.

"I hope this isn't permanent." a rough voice Maka knew much too well spoke up in a semi-worried tone, "It's not much fun."

"She'll be fine." a voice as annoying as it was familiar said off-handedly, "Look, she's not green anymore."

"I think she's broken." the rough voice spoke again and she felt a clawed finger gently tap her forehead, "She hasn't even blinked yet."

"That's _creepy_. Is she drooling?"

Please _God_ let her not be drooling.

"..Nah, she's mumbling something though."

Oh well... that was normal for her.

" '...Flying monkeys...kidnapped me?' _What the fuck_?"

"Your Meister's defective, Dude."

"Don't tease her while she's like this," a feminine voice laced with worry spoke up, "It's your fault anyways Black Star."

"I only threw her out a window. That's not too bad-"

"You carried her here by roof tops you genius."

"Well _sorry_ I have no money for a taxi.

It was quiet for a couple more minutes, long enough for Maka to drift off to sleep.

* * *

+Pitcher = Picture. I figured 5 year old Maka would have at least some grammar deficiencies.

+I wrote a Fairy Tail Fic anyways (haha).

+Still don't have a human calculator for the Teams thing

+Egregious

+Response:

Why thank you. I have had a similar conversation with my mother about Monk from the USA channel (characters welcome). I know right? :). I did not drop the nail polish, for that would be unfortunate; I first capped, then dropped it. Haha, I have no doubt of that. Yes, yes, you have my charter for requesting; use at your own risk. I am...in a way; warping them but with all intent purpose of using. Hmm...maybe. None felt, but much appreciated. Girl Power can beat any bully any day.


	10. My Life Sucks

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 10: My Life Sucks**

A/N: Calculus homework? Hah! I shall write this instead.

* * *

Maka awoke to the strange smell of ketchup and possibly churros.

She opened her eyes to realized her cheek was pressed against a bright yellow table top. She blinked once from the brightness of the mid-morning sun, then squinted up to see a large umbrella shading the area.

It slightly concerned her that she had no idea where she was.

Her spine hurt, so Maka supposed she had been sitting there for awhile. It took a moment to sit up, running a hand through her hair, which was miraculously still in pigtails. Several average-looking families sat at their own umbrella-shaded tables, enjoying- well what do you know. Hotdogs, churros, and pizza.

God, she _needed_ something salty. Preferably in pretzel form.

Instantly something that sounded like wrapper was shoved in her face. She karate chopped the attacker like the freak she was. Whatever she hit, she hit in the _neck_.

Black Star made a wheezing noise, reeling back in dramatic effect. Maka ignored the spectacle and looked down at her lap. Oh, a soft pretzel.

Yum.

She munched on the salty, buttery goodness while Black Star sputtered insults at her. She didn't really give a damn, because she had an inner peace known as extra buttery, extra garlic. It was Tsubaki that had come to the rescue, making a bee line for Black Star.

Before Black Star could physically fulfill the threats he was spewing, Tsubaki shoved a ridiculously huge hamburger in to his ridiculously huge mouth. He sat then, sedated and engrossed.

Tsubaki was nothing but flowers and sunshine, happily chatting about where they were and how fun road trips were. She conveniently left out the part where Maka was unconscious for all of it.

Against her own will.

Something furry entered her vision then and she looked down to see Little Shit staring up at her expectantly.

If he wanted a soft pretzel he _god-damned_ better buy his fucking own.

He snorted, un-amused, _I was waiting for you to ask 'what the fuck is going on?'. Guess not._

He leaped off the table before Maka _could_ ask what the fuck was going on. She did however, have enough time to narrow her eyes and growl, "My voice does _not_ sound like that!"

"Sound like what- oh, right. Bond thing." Black Star had finished his hamburger, in favor of downing an absurdly large slushy.

"Too much slushy makes you throw up." Maka warned half-heartedly, staring with dismay at the tiny bite-sized portion left of her pretzel.

"Please." Black Star snorted, turning the thing upside down to slurp the last drops of blue ice.

"Thanks for the pretzel by the way," she said it grudgingly, for it was Black Star and any kind of civilized conversation with him would probably come back to bite you in the butt.

"Don't thank me." Black Star gave the empty cup to Tsubaki who went to throw it away, "Soul said you'd want one when you woke up."

* * *

Tsubaki surprisingly drove really fast.

And by fast, Maka meant 'get-away car fast'.

"Holy _fuck!"_ Maka yelped when Tsubaki floored it on the near empty highway, she felt her back violently press in to the leather seat, "Where's the fire_?_"

Tsubaki only turned to give an apologetic smile and shrug.

"_Keep your eyes on the road-_"

_You are perfectly fine with animal-people out to kill you, but you're afraid of getting a speeding ticket?_ Soul rolled his eyes.

"I'm more afraid of crashing in to a tree and dying you tv-obsessed moron!" she hissed, eyeing the road before them like it was a one way ticket to hell.

_I take offense to that!_

"_Fucking deal with it. And slow down!"_

"I've never heard her curse so much." Tsubaki commented cheerfully, was it possible the dial for the miles per hour just went up?

"Well you're in for a show because-"

She stopped when she felt either a very tiny baby, or a kind of tiny dog leap in to her lap. Soul glared at her, their faces about 3 inches apart. _Calm down, or do you want us to crash?_

And, to their surprise (mostly her own), Maka listened to him.

"It worked?" Black Star's shocked voice sounded from the passenger seat. Maka just kicked his head rest in response.

"We just need to get to Shibusen as quickly as possible. We've already lost time back at- er. Somewhere." Tsubaki coughed the last part awkwardly, using the road as an excuse to shut up.

"You couldn't wait for me to take my Sociology test first?" Maka asked drily, arranging the clothes in her duffel bag that _someone_ in the car carelessly packed. She was glad she wasn't awake for whatever road block they had encountered before.

_That was just Black Star_ Soul was curled in to a ball next to the other window, _he's impatient_.

"Go figure.." Maka mumbled as she folded her underwear.

* * *

"I spy with my ninja eye... something... blue-"

"Sky."

"Yellow-"

"Road lines."

"Green-"

"Cactus."

"..White-?"

"Clouds."

"_What the fuck, Lady?_"

"It's not my fault you're so incredibly _obvious_."

"Then how about bl-"

"Your hair."

"God damn_!_"

* * *

"Are we there yet?" _Annoying_.

"Why are you asking me? _You're_ the ones who kidnapped me." Maka didn't even look up from her book. How she was reading Hemingway while Tsubaki did almost 200 an hour without feeling nautious was still a mystery even to her.

"..."

"..." She turned a page.

"Tsubaki?"

"Yes, Black Star?"

"Are we there yet?"

"It should take another day, I'll have to stop for gas soon." Aw _heck no_. She couldn't stand another day in this moving _death trap_ with Idiots 1 and 2! Even _if_ one of them had been sleeping since the journey had started.

As if on cue, Soul gave a loud mental snore.

"Let's book a motel!" Black Star's voice brought her out of her inward complaining.

Tsubaki was hesitant at that, "Lord Death said to come as quickly as possible.."

"Come on Tsubaki!" Black Star whined, "You're tired right? Get some z's before we head back!"

"Soul could always drive for me," Tsubaki suggested, two pairs of eyes looked at Maka.

She turned another page, nonchalantly replying, "That's a great idea! And then when he suddenly turns back in to a dog we'll all have a jolly good time crashing in to a ditch. Marvelous."

_Your sarcasm annoys me_. Soul growled from his sleeping position.

"_You_ annoy me." Maka wondered why he was fake sleeping. He simply wiggled a bit to get comfortable and continued on in his phony slumber.

"Maybe if you say his name over and over again he'll never poof back!" Black Star suggested. Both almost meister and cursed guardian tensed.

"I didn't know you loved my voice so much."

"Good point.."

"A motel doesn't sound like a bad idea." Maka closed her book then, "Little Shit needs to eat, I need a shower, Black Star _definitely_ needs a shower."

There was a small sniff, "It's not that bad."

* * *

"...That's a pool right?"

"More like a mosquito infestation." Black Star snorted as he threw a key at Maka with a little more force than necessary. She caught it, pretending it didn't hurt like _hell_.

"There's a nice restaurant down the street." Tsubaki came out of the suspicious looking elevator, luggage-free, "You like Chinese don't you, Maka?"

"Never tried it," Maka said simply_, _looking down at Soul who was by her feet, staring up her-

She swept his legs under him with her boot, "Pig."

_Hooker_.

"Go mate with a poodle or something."

_Go get panties my grandmother wouldn't wear_.

She resisted the urge to kick him, as the two men behind the lobby were already staring, and was surprised when she turned around.

"Sorry, Soul." Tsubaki _did_ seem a little apologetic. Maka didn't. In fact, she gave a big, evil grin, "They don't allow pets without leashes."

_Just kill me now..._

* * *

"It wasn't that bad." Maka tried to tell the affronted dog walking at her side.

_'Not that bad'- that was degrading!_

"Little Shit, I hate to tell you this. But you can sink no lower." Maka's words had both Tsubaki and Black Star snickering.

_Never, __**never**__, again._

"Not even if-"

_No._

"But what about my-"

_**No**__, Maka._

"I can't wait to take a shower and sleep like the dead." Tsubaki stretched her arms over her head and yawned as evidence.

"What time do we get up tomorrow?" Maka asked while she squatted to take the leash off an impatient Soul.

"Depends on when Black Star decides to deem us with his presence." Tsubaki teased, "When he sleeps, he doesn't wake up until he's ready."

"What can I say? I even _sleep_ extreme." Black Star said smugly, but was stopped short when they entered the lobby.

Maka didn't even have time to register the 4 awkwardly shaped dark figures in the room before Tsubaki was a whirl of sparklies and other essentials for a fairy tale. She was already heading at them with a deadly-looking chain in hand, attached to a blade which she was already throwing at one figure.

It dodged easily, a dark mist following its move and seeping in to the very air.

Maka felt something tugging on her boot strap, and looked down to see Soul yanking at it for her attention. She understood before he even requested.

"Soul Eater, go help her!"

"Don't have to tell me twice.." it was strange how accustomed he had gotten to transforming, and was already at full sprint with his own weapon out (a scythe, Kid had called it) aimed for the jugular of a different weirdo.

Maka turned to see what Black Star was doing, to see he wasn't there at all. She was both surprised yet not surprised to see him bellowing while charging at another monster.

And that left...

Aw _crap_.

The only unoccupied monster in the room turned it's ugly masked face to Maka. She could see her own terrified reflection in its goggled eyes. She could do this. Soul, Tsubaki, Black Star, all of them were fighting. _She could do this_.

The creature gave a huff of green smoke, it revealed one arm which happened to be made out of several sharp metallic objects, the hand being a single hooked claw. It began to whirl like a Saw movie.

Maka ran out the door without another glance.

* * *

It was following her.

Maka could tell even though she couldn't hear footsteps. It was obviously gliding if the strange breathing sound behind her (that was catching up too quickly for comfort) gave any indication. Maka sourly wondered if Soul and the others were laughing at her sissy tactics.

Well whatever, she liked living thank you very much.

So when the rock who was kin to the strategically placed fruit peel appeared on the sidewalk, Maka cursed everything and anything she could think of at that moment. She was falling, and her body had turned in the commotion of the fall to see the masked figure gliding at her, arms outstretched and ready for the kill.

When she felt bladed arms cut in to her body as it grabbed her, she gave a gasp of pain. When the monster bit it's steel teeth in to her neck, she screamed. A beastly roar was the last thing she heard while she fell to the concrete.

A roar she was comforted by.

She could feel his presence, whether it was from their freakish bond or because her spirit was leaving her body, she knew he was here.

"_Soul_..."

* * *

+I'll leave to your imagination whatever took place in the chinese restaurant.

+Maka's life _sucks_. I don't do it on purpose, cross my heart.

+Thank you, yes I just grabbed that idea out of no where. I believe Soul is starting to think she is slightly skitzo; Maka suspects it too, but doesn't think too much about it. It kind of was; I think it was mostly because it was so short. You're making me hungry (for soft pretzels which led to this story). Black Star is so inelegant and ecstatic I can't stop writing about him. Thank you, laughter is what I can only hope for. Yeah I know...it just happens; they don't but do, Soul knows Maka is probably the only person on EARTH who can be his meister, Maka is kind of just along for the ride. I'm like the Flash! Yeah...sorry. I love cats, cats love me :). Haha that makes two lazy-butts; yes she will be, later. Indeed... Yep, all the shitty stuff happens to Maka, her life sucks.


	11. A Friend

**Acquired Taste**

**A Friend**

A/N: Read your comments, some of them worried me. So I now added pants. Yaaaay.

* * *

Maka found it weird that Soul had upgraded to pants.

Given, she was glad she didn't have to see him in all his ass-kicking glory with his thing hanging out. _That_ would have not been a pretty sight. Soul seemed to understand her pain and took the extra seconds to steal some pants. He was understanding her a lot lately. It was odd at first, but Maka grew used to it. And well... she kind of liked it. Even if he was a _male._

Khaki is so not his color.

It was only kind of weird when the monster gave a last shriek of monster-ness after Soul sliced it clean in half before erupting in to a flurry of ribbons. The ribbons proceeded to be vacuumed in to a tiny, glowing ball.

The _fuck?_

Soul had already grabbed the ball of light and without hesitation swallowed it whole. She watched in two parts horror, two parts disgust as he gulped, his Adam's apple defining the moment.

Maka kind of felt like throwing up.

He turned to her then, cautious. She guessed he thought she was afraid of him. She probably was, but that didn't really to matter at the moment. For only one thing took top priority.

Maka screamed, and fell back while clawing at her neck. The once careful gaze of Soul Eater became panicked in half a second and he was already by her side. Maka couldn't feel his hand hold her up, or the loud demands of if she could hear him. Colors were disoriented in her vision and she couldn't tell if she was screaming, crying, or both.

The pain was disorientating.

* * *

_It hurt._

_"Maka? Maka! Maka can you hear me?"_

_"..Papa?"_

_"Stein! Go call the ambulance! Maka are you in pain?"_

_She nodded, her arm pulsing in agreement. She heard a deep voice speak urgently before heavy footsteps came back to kneel beside her, "Looks like it's broken."_

_"Are they on their way?" Papa's voice panicked._

_"It should take a couple minutes, don't move her, Spirit."_

_"I want Mama," Maka whimpered, she didn't like how her arm was sticking out. It was scary. A man she had never seen before leaned over to assess the breakage. His rounded glasses flashed in the light, hiding his eyes._

_"I'm sorry Maka... Mama isn't here, don't worry Sweetheart, you'll be fine soon." Papa crooned. She ignored him, and chose to stare at the yellow ceiling dotted with glow in the dark stars._

* * *

"...Is it all out?"

"Looks like it, she's stopped screaming at least. I'll go back to the motel."

"Be careful, Black Star."

_'Where am I?'_

"Maka...you conscious?"

"Yeah..." she answered as coherent as she could manage. The buzz of a street light above slowly drew her from unconsciousness. There was a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness!" that was Tsubaki's voice. Maka realized there was something over her eyes; she tried to move her arms but found she couldn't.

"What's going on?"

"We had to restrain you. You were moving a lot..."

A hand gently pulled the cloth out of her eyes. It took Maka a moment to adjust to the dim light. She was laying on the side walk right in front of their motel. All was quiet as the ringing in her ears dimmed. She could hear the singing of crickets and possibly an owl before two shadows peered over her.

"...My ankle itches." Maka stated bluntly. The closest figure gave a dog-sigh, shuffling away.

_Not even a 'Thank you, Soul!' or a 'I think I saw a light'. What is up with my meister..._

"When was I yours..." Maka growled as she sat up. Someone had thought it wise to bind her arms to her sides with a stretchy jacket. Her feet were in similar condition, "Was I that bad?"

"It's not your fault, Maka." Tsubaki comforted while she untied the girl, "Kishin Poison does that."

"Those things were Kishins?" Whatever the hell _that_ particular breed of crazy was.

"Yes, they're the minions of witches. The ones we fought were a bit above average."

Maka could see why, when she looked down at herself. Her entire right side looked something from an epic fight scene, the rips and tears of her clothes making a distinct bite shape that could have come from a dinosaur.

A big dinosaur.

'But then again... Soul killed that thing in less than a second?' After Tsubaki helped her up, Maka turned back to the dog, and then turned away in politeness as he was using the bath- err fire hydrant.

"Hey Tsubaki?" Maka asked as the four walked inside the building. The two men out the counter were still passed out.

"Yes?"

"Guardians are all different strength-wise right?"

"Yes, that's right. Soul here are the pants you stole."

_...Thanks?_

Maka took them since Soul had no arms, "How strong is Soul?"

That recaptured Tsubaki's attention. Her eyes flashed with an unfathomable expression, "He's...strong. Why?"

"I was just wondering, seeing as how I'm Level 0." she ignored Soul's snickers and considered shoving him in between the elevator doors.

"Don't worry about it Maka," Tsubaki smiled in encouragement, "You're just not trained, I bet you have a ton of potential."

_Not likely_.

"Don't worry, a bit of lessons and you'll be on par with Soul!"

_Definitely not likely_.

"Oh shut the _fuck_ up you little _cunt_!" Maka kind of found it amusing Soul upgraded both in wardrobe and nickname. Tsubaki looked hurt for a second, before she followed Maka's gaze to the tiny white dog by her feet, scratching his ear in a very dog-like manner.

"...besides," Tsubaki continued, exiting the elevator when it came to a jerky stop, "Your compatibility is high, so you should have a good head start."

_How in the hell is 'cunt' in your nerd vocabulary?_

"Thanks, Tsubaki. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to murder my dog."

"No problem?"

"_Oh my god_." It was strange how Maka could have completely forgotten about Black Star's existence until she laid eyes on him in their room. However that wasn't the issue here..

Black Star...looked green.

"I'm gonna-_urrggh_..." and with that Black Star ran to the nearest container to vomit a fountain of blue slushy.

* * *

"So you _molested me_ in my _sleep_?" Maka demanded, combing through her hair with her fingers. She and Soul sat on the bed while Tsubaki and Black Star occupied the bathroom. Retching sounds could be heard every now and then.

_**Technically**__, you weren't sleeping. You were unconscious. And you were about to die!_

"So that just gives you the excuse to _plant one on me_?"

_Yeah! It does!_

"..."

_I wasn't so thrilled about it either you know..._

"He's telling the truth, Maka," Tsubaki's voice drifted from the bathroom where you could hear Black Star groaning over a toilet, "Physical contact increases a meister and guardian's bond, kissing especially. It doesn't work on some couples though, like if they were the same gender."

_"Urrghh_..." There was a splashing sound.

Maka ignored Black Star's vomiting, eyeballing the suitcase outside the door with disdain. Of _course_ Black Star chose her suitcase out of all the others to _empty his lunch_.

_-and when the soul mixes with the poison it has a violent reaction...are you even listening.."_

She dodged the question, "What will I wear now? My only non-blue clothing is in shreds."

She looked at the tattered remains of her t-shirt in dismay.

_I kind of like that look on you-_

"You're not helping your pervert case at all.

_I'm just kidding. Lighten up. All Shibusen students get a credit card. We can get you new clothes tomorrow._

Shopping?

Soul read the excited look on her face and scoffed, _Women..._

"You feeling any better, Black Star?"

"Yeah...Thanks, Tsubaki.."

"Lie down, I'll get you some water."

"Kay..."

Maka watched Black Star exit the bathroom and flop on his bed. He was no longer green, which was good, but he was still pretty pale.

"I kind of like this Black Star," she stated out loud, "Quiet.. easy to order around.. can we keep him like this forever?"

Soul barked his laughter while Black Star tiredly gave her the finger.

* * *

"Oh these are nice, these are too!"

"Hey, Tsubaki! These ear rings would look good on you."

"You think so?"

"Definitely, brings out the blue in your eyes. Have you ever thought about letting your hair down?"

_Guys..._

"It's not fit for combat though, I let it down for parties and what not but I carry a hair tie with me when I do."

"Wow, always ready for a fight huh? That's why I always keep my hair in pigtails."

_**Guys...**_

"Oh that's right! I heard from Soul you fought a lot at school. That's why your reflexes are so good!"

"Psh, I'm like a ninja. _Those shoes are so me_."

_**GUYS!**_

Maka turned to glare at Soul, his red leash looped around her wrist. "_What?_"

_Can I __**please**__ hang out with Black Star or something? If not... just kill me. Show mercy.._

"I _would_ but Tsubaki said something about needing you alive for when we get to Shibusen." Maka sighed, taking the leash off her wrist, "Where _is _Black Star anyways?"

"Arcade." Tsubaki answered simply, holding two different shoes like a weight scale, "You should go play with him."

"As a _human_?" Maka asked, incredulous, "What if he changes back and someone sees? And we don't exactly have male clothes."

"Don't worry, I got the pants he took last night with me. Plus, we figured out why he transformed back."

_It just took energy_, Soul took over from there, _The more I transform, the more energy it takes. But I got a lot of rest yesterday, so we should be good. And it's an __**arcade**__. All sorts of crazy shit goes down there_.

Maka pursed her lip, "Whatever... Go hide behind a plant or something."

Soul did a little better, he hid inside a circular rack of clothes. The strange smoke didn't draw any attention, to Maka's surprise. Maybe the world wasn't as observant as she thought...

"Later!"

"Don't get too excited now.." Maka grumbled but Soul had already high tailed it out of there, shoving a stolen t-shirt over his head. But she didn't care at that point, for next to the door was-

"Are those boots on _sale_?"

* * *

Maka felt slightly better having a wardrobe that wasn't ruined. It was kind of similar to her school uniform too, a fact Soul pointed out drily as they headed for the food court. He was still in his human form, to Maka's surprise, and slight discomfort.

She kept wondering when he'd change _back_. He kept shooting her weird looks while sending her silent messages with a questioning feel through the bond. She shrugged him off and focused back on her spoils for the day.

The only notable changes were her shoes, which were now black boots with white buckles. She had also gotten a black coat that made her feel like a superhero. Tsubaki had said it complimented her nicely.

Tsubaki was a really nice person, and a good friend (she guessed). Maka could see how she could be the only person to tolerate Black Star (who was fiddling with something Maka had no name for at the moment). Overall, Maka was happy to say her first real friend was pretty decent.

"Hey...Tsubaki?"

"Yes, Maka?"

"What's Black Star doing?"

"Playing with gum tape."

Maka watched with interest as Black Star examined the pink roll for a good 5 seconds, before having a small fit by slurping the gum up like a noodle. Tsubaki just dug in to her yakisoba.

"...Okay..."

And she could handle weird better than Maka could.

* * *

+ I. Am. Team

／l、

ﾞ（ﾟ､ ｡ ７

l、ﾞ ~ヽ

じしf_, )ノ

Pfft.

+I don't like this chapter. If you want me to rewrite it just let me know.

+Response:

You're more awesome . Thank you! At least she's got Soul to save the day, haha. I took your idea about making Black Star more gross (just thought you ought to know). My favorite scene from that movie was the train scene. No, no, no horrible images. You should it gets so much more interesting (and kind of creepy). Thank you! Yeah I'm a bit bipolar when it comes to updating. Aaah~ I'm sorry, but do not worry I am with you on procrastination. And thus, he did (muahahaha). Shall do . You can never go wrong with a good laugh. I _need _a soft pretzel , and thank you. You say such sad things with a smile…I love it haha.


	12. Are We There Yet?

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 12: Are We There Yet?**

A/N: It is funny how I only ever update when I am putting off homework... today it's physics.

* * *

_It feels...no. That one? Couldn't be, ah it fits. No they wouldn't make it this easy. Let's see... Yes!_

_Click, click, click, click, click._

_**Clink.**_

_At the final click Maka had the object up, eyebrows furrowed in concentration behind her blindfold. She ignored the impressed applause and pulled the trigger._

* * *

It was kind of fun playing cards with Black Star.

He only knew one game (speed) and it had been a while since either opponent had ever found someone _good_ enough to even have a hope of beating them. So far the score was 5 to 3.

She was so kicking his ass.

"_NOOOOOOOOO!"_ Black Star bellowed, Tsubaki didn't even jerk the car from his sudden spasm, and he threw down the only two cards he had left, "_DAMNIT THEY WERE RIGHT THERE!_"

"Ya snooze, ya loose." Maka grinned, shuffling the deck again. Soul watched in fascination at how the cards blurred in a shuffle, then again in a bridge, before being split and shuffled again.

_You could earn a job at this_.

"I had a lot of free time as a kid." Maka responded simply, dealing out the cards like a ninja with throwing stars, "Alright, Slow-mo, pick a deck."

Black Star stared at the two options intensely, wrinkles permanently etched on his forehead and at the corners of his nose. Ever so carefully, he picked the left deck. They both removed five cards and placed the deck down at the same time.

"They seem really in to it." Tsubaki commented brightly, finally exiting off the highway. By the time Tsubaki had reached the Denny's parking lot, Maka had just lost spectacularly to a combination of straights and unlucky cards.

"_Fuck_!"

"HAHAHAHA! That's right! BOW DOWN TO MY MIGHTY POWERS!"

* * *

"I'll have the...Grand Slam, the full set Flapjack Stackers with biscuits and gravy, a quiche... oh, and some French toast. Extra syrup." Black Star set his menu down, satisfied.

Maka's eyebrow twitched. Why did it feel like he was challenging her?

"And you miss-"

"Whatever the hell he just ordered."

Black Star grinned at her, arching two fingers in a silent challenge to _bring it_.

"I'll have a Belgium waffle," Tsubaki handed the menu over with a smile, "With blueberries please."

_Tell them I want bacon-_

"My li- _dog_ wants sausage. Two."

_I said bacon you whore._

"Tiny sausages. Shriveled and burned preferably."

"I don't think we normally allow pets here,"

"Oh but he's very well behaved." Tsubaki said.

_More behaved than those two morons_.

She yanked his leash from under the table and he slid off the chair with a yelp.

The waitress eyed the little shit apprehensively ("Well I'll take your word for it.") and walked away.

Maka sipped her hot chocolate, the whip cream long since melted, "So we should be at Shibu-whatever today?"

"Shibusen, and yes." Tsubaki was currently placing a napkin under Black Star's chin like the baby he was. He didn't seem to mind, as he was currently coloring with crayons the waitress supplied.

Maka glanced at Little Shit who was struggling to get back on to the booth seat. He wasn't getting very far. Eventually she lifted him up by his tummy with her boot. He only huffed in exasperation and proceeded to glare at the underside of the table.

"How is your wound doing Maka?" Tsubaki interrupted their silent exchange.

"It's healing," Maka replied, touching the color of her shirt where bandages lay underneath.

"It's a good thing Soul was transformed." Tsubaki stirred her tea, "Or the venom would have killed you."

"Yeah...what happened anyway?" Maka coughed.

There was a moment of silence.

"You mean you don't _know_?"

_I told her,_ Soul muttered from his seat, _Told her twice, she was zoning out the entire time.._

"We never got around to it no," Maka resisted the urge to shove him off the seat again.

"Well when that Kishin bit you, he injected venom. Human souls are allergic to that venom and will react to it by trying to break free from the body."

"So...death."

"Mhmm," Black Star just finished his 50th signature on what was supposed to be a maze, admiring his handiwork.

"Essentially, yes. There's no way to put a soul back in to its body once it's out. Well Soul is pretty quick about these things-"

_Lightning quick_.

"-and he sucked out the venom while raising your bond so you would heal faster."

"Oh." Maka blinked, turning to Soul, "Thanks, Soul."

_Poof_.

There was a small fit at table 6.

Heads turned to see three teenagers laughing, rather strained, about something. Bah..teenagers, not like they were _covering up_ something, and the heads turned back to their meals. The waitress chose that moment to arrive, precariously balancing two large trays of food stacked like pyramids, almost touching the ceiling.

She was _very_ good at her job.

"Alrighty two Grand Slams, two full sets of Flapjack Stackers with biscuits and gravy, two quiches, two French toasts with extra syrup, blueberry waffles and.. oh? Where's your dog?"

"H-he," Maka racked her brain, trying not to focus on how Soul's head was currently laying on her lap, "I took him outside, he was making a lot of noise.."

"Should I bring the sausage to him-?"

"_No!_- I mean...n-no. I'll do it." Maka cringed when she felt Soul snicker. She concentrated on making room for the army of plates that dominated their table.

"Alrighty, will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you." Tsubaki was so good at high pressured situations. Maka was kind of envious.

As soon as she left, there was a lot of awkward jabbing under the table while Soul proceeded to change (Tsubaki had brought Soul's clothes along just in case). There was a lot of wincing from Black Star's side.

Maka guessed Soul's legs kept banging against his knees and shins. From the grin Soul had, either he was giving unnecessary kicks to the blueberry, or he was enjoying the location of his head.

He had _better_ be kicking Black Star on purpose.

When Soul emerged from under the table, there was a general sigh of relief.

"Oi.." Black Star growled, "What were you putting on down there? _Pantyhose?_"

Soul only whistled innocently, taking Maka's fork to enjoy his sausage. She rolled her eyes, took the extra fork and knife from the napkin set aside, and stared down Black Star, who was in a similar position. Oh it was so _on_.

There could have been Wild West music for all the crap that was going down. Black Star even raised one brow. Both held their forks and knives pointed to the ceiling like guns.

"Ready...set..." Tsubaki was calmly cutting her waffle in tiny bite size portions, not interested in their contest.

"Eat!"

* * *

"I'm gonna...oh my god.." Maka pressed her cheek against the cool glass of the window, "_Stop the car!_"

"We haven't even moved yet, Maka." Tsubaki peered over in worry at Maka, then to Black Star who also had his cheek pressed against the glass on the other side. Soul wisely sat in front in case any breakfast regurgitating happened in the back seat.

"So it seems Maka can just use your first name now." Tsubaki started up conversation, seeing as how she couldn't drive without some form of a bucket for her passengers.

Soul gave a doggy scoff, _So it seems_.

It the midst of their epic food battle, no one had even noticed Soul changing back. He had even managed to fold the clothes to give back to Tsubaki. The door opened on Black Star's side and Maka laughed at the sounds of his puking.

"See what happens when you eat faster? Serves you.. _crap_.."

Soul sighed at the sounds of two Meisters puking, _So not cool._

"Didn't Maka finish two seconds after Black Star?" Tsubaki wondered, "She's so skinny...how in the..."

_I bet it goes to her fatty ankles_.

* * *

"Feeling better now?" Tsubaki asked brightly. Her response was the sound of chewing mint gum. "We just crossed the border. We are now officially in Nevada."

"Joy." Maka mumbled, her chin propped on her hand in boredom, "Who is this Lord Death anyway?"

"Principal." Black Star replied simply, playing solitaire on one of Maka's suitcases for a table.

"And he's a lord?"

"And a god."

"Hmm. What's for lunch?"

"You're _serious_?" Tsubaki asked in doubt, looking at Maka from the mirror, "Even Black Star's not hu-"

There was a loud rumble, three sets of eyes landed on Black Star, then his stomach. He just laughed, "Someone as BIG as me gets BIG appetites."

"Look, there's a drive thru over there." Maka pointed to the tiny shop in the middle of no where.

Okay, she had to admit, it was kind of suspicious.

Tsubaki seemed to think so too, but said nothing while Black Star cheered her on as she drove up to the big clown head, throwing orders at her so fast Maka wondered if Tsubaki was even listening.

_"Welcome to Burger Hut, may I take your order_?" The clown head asked.

"Five double cheese burgers, no pickles no mustard extra cheese, two large fries, an apple pie, a large M&M milkshake, one chicken wrap...Maka?"

Maka took a moment to gape at Tsubaki's excellent memory. She knew Tsubaki was used to ordering a lot for Black Star but.._damn_.

"Uuuuh... Strawberry milk shake, fries, and a fish burger."

_Oi_.

"And a bacon and Swiss sandwich."

_..._

"And water."

_Thank you._

Tsubaki listed off their items.

"_Will that be all?_"

Duh.

"Yes," Tsubaki rolled up the window and drove up the cashier.

A nervous looking boy at the window stuttered, "Th-That'll b-b-be $29.33."

Tsubaki just handed him her handy-dandy shiny black credit card, not even her usual smiling self.

"J-j-just head up to...to the window a-and we'll get your...order."

"Tsubaki," Maka whispered while Tsubaki silently moved forward. The raven-haired woman just nodded, "I know."

Black Star was bouncing up and down in his seat, "Food!"

Moron.

It took a minute or two for Tsubaki to get all the food to fit in the car, making a sort of production line. The window man handed her the bag or drink, she'd hand it to Maka, who would either put it in her lap or give it to Black Star.

Mostly gave it to Black Star.

"Have a nice day..."

While Tsubaki took the last bag, she suddenly grabbed the girls arm. The girl made a startled squeak, but her mouth made a small 'o' when Tsubaki handed her a sleek cark with a kid-friendly skull on it.

The _fuck_?

Maka didn't bother asking what the hell happened, because as soon as the girl closed her window, four large Kishins jumped out of the bushes, teeth and claws poised for a swift attack.

This is why Maka wasn't a fan of drive thru's.

Tsubaki already had her foot on the gas, and the car shrieked to life. The roof groaned with the weight of its new occupants as Tsubaki sped on to the road.

"Soul!" Maka shouted and a split second later a familiar scythe speared the roof. There was a beastly howl from above and blood leaked down from the hole Soul had just created.

He was calmly fitting on his pants when another thump made itself known. Maka saw the hand reaching at her after hearing the sound of shattered glass. Before she could scream 5 or 6 ninja things were poking out of its arm.

"Duck!" Black Star yelled and Maka easily complied when more shattered glass could be heard.

"Tsubaki! They're surrounding us!"

Tsubaki turned to Maka, "Can you drive?"

Badly.

"Yeah!" Maka shoved her way to the front, ignoring the sounds of more monsters while Soul was wrestling with a hand clamped around his neck.

As soon as her foot was on the gas pedal, Tsubaki's wasn't and she was out of the car in the blink of an eye. Maka stared in shock, "Is she _flying_?"

"Duh." Black Star growled, taking out more knives, "Keep your eyes on the road!"

She wanted to kick him...

Instead she veered left so Soul could get enough leverage to get the beastly hand to release him. Black Star tumbled from the back seat, but managed to embed one of his knives in the upholstery to keep himself semi-grounded.

Soul already batted the hand away from him and swung out of the car on to the roof for more room. But Maka wasn't worried about him, in fact she wasn't even paying attention to him. For just under the driver's seat she could see...

Was Tsubaki _planning _this?

"Oi, Maka." Black Star growled while he hacked at a tail trying to jab through the window to spear him, "As soon as I jump out pull over and hide-"

A loud clacking sound had him peering around the head rest. He gaped as Maka assembled what was essentially a machine gun.

"_What the fuck are you doing-_"

"BLACK STAR LOOK OUT!" Tsubaki's distant shriek was too late as a tentacle winded around the blue-haired Meister, yanking him out of the vehicle like a doll.

Maka swore, pulling out another rather heavy looking gun, pointing it directly at what kind of reminded her of Men in Black.

She fired with uncanny precision, something Black Star would have to wonder about later. The owner of that tentacle gave a ghostly wail, flailing Black Star around now.

'Sorry, Soul.' Maka thought as she strapped a belt of reloads around her waist. She slammed on the breaks, hearing a muffled curse from the rooftop along with, "_You bitchhh!"_

She only scoffed, kicking the driver's door open and was already aiming two heavily modified twin pistols at the octopus-looking kishin by the time her foot made it on to solid ground.

She didn't have the attention span to watch Black Star fall on his head after unleashing a rain of bullets on the octopus, turning to Tsubaki who was battling two bat-like creatures. She shot at their wings, giving enough of a distraction for Tsubaki to whirl her kisarigama and slash the kishins in half.

She was just setting up the stand for the large machine gun when three or four ninja knives flew passed her, embedding in a kishin who had just emerged from under the car to grab Maka.

"You're WELCOME!" The blueberry bellowed while leaping on top of the car to dispatch his fury of knives and other assortments to the kishins that were catching up from the burger joint. Maka rolled her eyes, jamming the large weaponry on to the stand and aiming at something her vocabulary didn't even bother processing that Soul was having problems with.

Oh look, there were five of them.

When bullet holes started erupting from his enemies, Soul looked up to see Maka and a...machine gun?

"How in the hell did you-"

"PAY ATTENTION TO THE BATTLE, MORON!"

"Got it, I got it!" He growled and did a complex twirl with his scythe, slicing the five kishin's in to pieces.

It was mostly muscle memory that took over from that point. Maka _would_ have been proud of how well she was holding up, if it wasn't how everyone else was doing _better_. Black Star and Tsubaki must have saved her at least 3 times a piece. She didn't even count how many times Soul barged in to make sure she wasn't decapitated.

At least she helped.

That made her feel a _tiny_ bit better.

It was incredibly silent after Soul had struck down the last beast, not even out of breath. Maka exhaled from exhaustion, sitting on the ground. Monster guts, bodies, and blood, coated the deserted highway like an alien planet.

"You surprised me there, Maka." Tsubaki smiled, her kisarigama had disintegrated in to dust that rose up in to the sky. Maka guessed that was normal, "I didn't expect you to know how to fight."

"I don't exactly call pulling a trigger fighting," Maka sighed, twirling one of the pistols in her hand.

"But that was incredible," Tsubaki praised and squatted next to the girl, "I expected you to just grab the small hand gun, not the stuff I reserve for Black Star and Kid."

"Yeah...why _do_ you know how to work a XM214." Soul asked, his weapon also disappearing. Black Star was busy gathering his kunai knives. At least he was being resourceful.

"I doubt you learned it in school," Tsubaki frowned.

Maka unstrapped her belt while she talked, "My father taught me when I lived with him in New York. He never told me why, but I think he was in some sort of mafia or gang."

"Your _dad_?" Soul made a face, "What about your mom-"

"She's at Pennhurst, last I checked." Maka scratched the back of her head. Bad idea, she could feel a bump from when she fell.

"The _asylum_?" Tsubaki exclaimed, but then pursed her lips, "I'm sorry..I didn't mean-"

"No it's okay, I learned to live with it. Should we go back to the burger place? There should be more over there?"

"Yes probably. We need to save the hostages...unless they're all Kishin."

"I guess we bought thirty dollars worth of Kishin shit." Soul scowled, rubbing off some blood that may or may not have been his own from his arm.

"Black Star!" Tsubaki cried, standing up abruptly, "Don't _eat it_!"

"But it's good! And I'm hungry!" a voice responded from the other side of the car. There was a distinct sound of hamburger wrapper. Maka gagged.

"Kishin's could have made that-" Tsubaki fluttered to her Meister.

Soul sighed, and erupted in a cloud of smoke.

Maka gradually came to notice something, "Hey...what's with all these floating glowy ball things?"

* * *

It had turned out, one of the Kishin that had jumped them in the first place had sounded a call for help when the monsters found out they were dealing with Meisters and weapons. They had all flocked then, stupidly leaving their shelter which was the burger joint.

According to the manager, him and the employees had been trapped at the place for two months now, having to watch unsuspecting victims get devoured one by one by the Kishins.

Black Star got a life time supply of milk shakes.

Tsubaki and Soul had divided up the Kishin egg/soul thingies in half, leaving Maka to watch in fascination as they ate.

"They don't really have a flavor." Tsubaki said, chewing on her last soul, "It's really filling though, gives a lot of energy."

"Is that why you eat them?" Maka asked as they waited on the roadside for Shibusen to bring some transportation.

_No_ Soul currently ate in his dog form, _That's really the only way to destroy a Kishin, to eat their soul. Otherwise they'd just roam free and god knows what would happen then.._

"How come all the monsters I killed didn't belch out their souls then?" Maka wondered.

"Ah.. that's because our weapons are designed to drag out the Kishin soul once they're dead. The ones you killed probably transported back to the witch who created them." Tsubaki answered.

So she did all that work for nothing?

"Dammit all!" Maka shouted to the sky.

* * *

+Soul / Maka / Black Star / Tsubaki / Death the Kid / Liz and Patty

1 2 2 3 3 4

THE SYMMETRY

Kid chose good friends.

+ Trivia: The first time I've ever saved a half written chapter and worked on it the next day.

+ More trivia: Listened to Anthem 4 Pipe Dreams by Skankfunk while writing this...so that would explain the fighting.

+I _think_ that's how you spell kisarigama. No idea really…

+Bad place to end the chapter but uuh…that homework's due tomorrow.

+Review/Response

That makes two of us. Yeah the news of his death interrupted my Desperate Housewives (and don't worry the spacing kind of screwed it up to look not-cat like)!Silverrwolf819: Just for you, and thanks. Haha only sickness can calm Black Star down. He was worried because he knows she is uncomfortable when he's human; haha he's not perverted...yet, I have an idea. Ew. Yeah I have an idea with all these kisses going on :) and I added BAMF fighting yaay. She already was SURPRISINGLY (to me) just needed proper weapons (haha). Dude, thank you :). Yeah I kind of stole that idea from the comments on a video of Johnny Yong Bosch (he's my power ranger idol). Maka will never die, hopefully. Yeah Soul kinda just did his thing to heal her and BAM, good as new (she doesn't really care though so it was kind of left out). Thank you. Heck yes I am. Thank you, will do. I am with bipolar rabbit or a bipolar turtle (take your pick) so don't worry about it.

+I would like to thank everyone who told me the previous chapter was passable. Because I was on the verge of deleting it. Okay I lied. I'm too lazy to write another chapter 11. But thank you anyways!


	13. Of Skateboards and Staircases

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 13: Of Skateboards and Staircases**

A/N: Guess who got writer's block?

That's right.

Me.

* * *

"...A flying skateboard?" Maka noted dully. She felt more than saw Soul look up to where her gaze was pointed.

_Oh, Kid's picking us up._

"...A flying skateboard."

"That's weird..." Tsubaki muttered, "Wasn't he still on lock down because of the Eruka incident?"

"It's flying..."

"You mean when she tried to drown him? Uh...no. It was like forever ago." Black Star said, loud like usual.

"...flying skateboard."

"It was yesterday Black Star, Liz told you about it on the phone last night." Tsubaki explained.

"...Soul."

_Yes, Crazy?_

"You _see_ the flying skateboard right?"

_Yeah._

"Can I get one?"

_...pffft_.

"Oi, don't laugh."

"You want Beelzebub, Maka?" Tsubaki asked, Maka guessed she meant the flying skateboard and nodded vigorously.

_Did you kind of forget when Black Star carried you home? I thought you were scared of heights._

"I was being _kidnapped_ and hung _upside-freaking-down_. THAT, looks fun. _Black Star_ looks faulty."

"Did you just- _are you comparing me to a method of transportation?_"

"Oooooh! It's landing!"

"Don't run off to meet-YOU DARE IGNORE A STAR LIKE ME?"

"Black Star, I don't think now's the time to fight Maka!"

"Why not, Tsubaki! She's got her back turned and everything!"

"If you _kill_ _her_ we will fail our mission!"

"..."

"And Soul looks about two seconds from slicing you in half." Tsubaki whispered the last part. Black Star glanced to the mini-beast in question, who was glaring daggers in their general direction.

"What's he going to do?" Black Star attempted whispering, yet his voice carried even to where Maka was ogling said flying skateboard, "Bark at me until I laugh so hard I cough up a lung?"

_I want to kill him_-!

"Don't follow his example now," Maka said sternly, the skateboard under her arms.

_How did you_-

"How _dare_ you kick me off my own skateboard in such an unsymmetrical fashion?" Kid stormed in to view, a dusty foot print on the right side of his chest.

Ah.

"Is this the thanks I get for coming to rescue you guys?" he demanded in a manner that vaguely reminded Maka of the Queen of England.

"Psh, with this bad boy, who needs rescuing." Maka patted the skateboard thoughtfully.

"_It's my own god damn skate board- _tch!" Kid gave up, doing a 90 degree turn on his heel, and stomping to Tsubaki. He snapped his fingers.

"Hey, hey, hey! It disappeared!" Maka protested, glaring daggers at the owner.

"Tsubaki, we'll need a report on the damage done to your car, also we'll need eye witness accounts to the Kishin from the Burger Joint."

Maka was about to yell at him for ignoring her, when she realized something was tugging on her jacket. "Yes Soul- aw _crap_."

It was too late as another mushroom of smoke erupted and Maka politely turned around so Soul could flail with the pants and shirt Tsubaki had reflexively tossed at him.

"Let's get a move on already." Soul growled while he wrestled with a pair of pants.

Maka thought about it for a moment, "Hmm, I guess me, you, _and_ Tsubaki could fit on the skateboard. But Black Star's too fat. We'd have to leave him behind. _Let's go_."

"I'M NOT FAT! I'M A STAR! AND TSUBAKI WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME BEHIND!" her ears hurt.

"She completely left me out of her calculations.."

"Don't worry about it, Kid." Tsubaki comforted.

"Come on, make a gate already." Soul pushed Maka towards Kid at arm's length like she was a disease.

"So you do wear a bra." he snickered.

"At least I don't need one." she rolled her eyes, not caring it was an insult to herself in the process. It was worth it when he glared at her.

"I don't have boobs, Twat."

"Call them whatever you want, oof! Don't push so hard... Kid? What's the weird hand signs- _oh my god!_"

* * *

"You could have warned me.." Maka grumbled as the five slowly ascended the stairs. Well, four plus one dog who was being carried like the princess he was by Tsubaki.

"And miss that look on your face? _Please_." Black Star cackled.

"Well what face did you expect me to make when a giant skull popped out of no where and ate us!" she snapped, clasping her hands behind her back to keep from hitting him. Knowing the _idiot_ he would probably tumble all the way back down those stairs and drag her with him.

"It was two dimensional! And you just got sucked in to its vortex. No big deal." Black Star snorted.

"Do you _listen_ to yourself?"

"Will you two shut up?"

"Got to hell, Kid!" they both yelled, before looking horrified at each other for having the same reaction.

_It was just a portal, Maka. Relax._

"Yeah, _relax_." her voice dripped with sarcasm, "Every time I _do_ relax, something either shoots, grabs, bites, or transports me!"

"She has a point," Tsubaki supported.

"Yeah, whatever." three voices, one of them internal, grumbled.

The rest of the walk was endured in silence. Maka wondered why these stairs were so damn long. Her calves were on fire from both sun and work and the thin button-down she wore felt constraining on her overheated skin.

As if to contribute to the Nevada heat, the group had just passed two unnecessarily large candle wicks, dripping molten wax like lava from a volcano.

This place was weird.

Maybe it was just the location itself, and its weirdness was so incredible it just rubbed off on its residents.

Kid was weird. There was no denying it. How could one, so obsessed with symmetry, have un-symmetrically dyed hair. He rode a flying skateboard, he looked like he had just stepped out of Cinderella's ball, and he liked fruit cups.

Maka had never seen him eat one, but she had her suspicions.

Black Star was more annoying than weird, and that was saying something. He walked around with blue hair and was proud of it, he wore clothes you'd expect to see on someone at least as tall as the empire state building, and he ate like a black hole (she was one to talk).

Tsubaki wasn't too weird. It was more like she was weird-tolerant. She rode shiny yellow sports cars, she kept deadly machinery under her car seat like toys for bored little kids, and she had the talent of instant recall for food items like Einstein.

And then there was Soul.

And he was _weird_.

_You're thinking I'm weird, aren't you_. Soul asked bluntly, jumping out of Tsubaki's arms to walk next to his Meister.

And a mind-reader apparently, 'What gave me away?'

_You have that look, and you're staring right at me._

She had a look? 'Well yeah, I was thinking you're weird.'

_Gee,_ he sniffed, _Love the honesty. How the hell am I weird_?

'...do you really have to ask?'

_Fine then. If I'm so weird, what about __**you**__. You're weirder than all of us combined._

'That is so not true, For my past 17 years of existence, I was the pinnacle of normal.'

_What the fuck is pinnacle-gah never mind. Alright, let's see._

He paused in his trot to take a good look at her.

_You say you're 17, and you look 8_.

She glared.

_You're the nerdiest girl I have ever met, yet you kick like a professional soccer player._

Well...yeah.

_You buy books like they're a stamp collection, and you use your food to re-make scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean_.

Oh..so he saw that.

_Yes I saw that. You talk to yourself, and no don't even __**try**__ to play it off as talking to me. Your constant need for Gatorade creeps me out-_

"Ok! Let's get one thing straight!" she wheeled in front of him, "That is because it helps with the _migraines_ I'm always getting!"

"Maka?..."

Oops. Maka turned around to see Kid and Black Star staring at her strangely.

_Weirdo_.

"Shut up, Little Cunt."

"She's talking to Soul." Tsubaki explained, "They share a mental connection."

"A mental connection?" Kid's eyebrows shot up, "That's rare. How long has this been going on?"

"Ummm..." Maka thought about it.

How long _had_ they been reading each other's minds?

Maybe it was around the time Maka thought it would be fun to hang Soul by his collar above a pot of boiling water. The collar had proceeded to rip and Maka barely had time to yell before Soul had bounced off the handle (spilling the hot water on the counter) and landed in a sink filled with dirty dishes.

_That_ was fun.

She could practically hear the insults he rained on her whilst she cleaned up the mess.

"..is she alright?" Kid asked, reaching the top of the stairs.

"I think she's sentimental." Tsubaki answered.

"She's what kind of mental?" Black Star asked before getting punched in the face.

"BLACK STARRRRR!" a blur of red and yellow roared in delight before whirling to latch on to Kid.

"Hi, Patty." Black Star groaned from the floor.

Maka blinked, "Why is Black Star on the floor- _woah_."

Her boobs were _huge_!

"Patty where'd you- oh it's you guys." whatsherface- Liz (Maka reminded herself) emerged from two symmetrical skull decorated doors, "How'd the trip go?"

"Don't ask," Tsubaki sighed, dragging Black Star inside, "Come on Maka, I'll show you where the Death Room is. Thanks for the ride, Kid."

"I would say anytime, but yeah..."

"WOAH, woah, woah. _Death_ room? I came here so you could k_ill me_?"

It all made sense now.

"_No_! It's just a name, you know Lord Death. Death Room. Death City. That type of thing." Tsubaki back-tracked her poor choice of words.

"I want to go home!"

"We're not trying to kill you-okay, well I might have tried once or twice, but _Soul_ wouldn't let me! So there!" Black Star was not helping their case.

* * *

Lord Death was the weirdest specimen Maka had ever seen.

He for some reason was shaped like a convoluted lightning bolt in black, and had the mask of a skull with hollow eye holes.

He also sounded like he had a nasal infection.

"Oooh, so this is Maka Albarn? It's nice to meet you!" he bounced, like he had a spring, to her.

She gulped, "Nice to meet you."

Maka kind of wished she had more protection other than a cheetoh-crazed white little cunt. Tsubaki and Black Star made the excuse of 'going to class' (what the heck?) and Kid, Liz, and Patty went off to god knows where (Kid had mumbled something about folding toilet paper).

"Please, please, sit down. Would you like some tea?" he asked in a very hospitable manner, bouncing to a low table.

"Ah...sure."

She eyed his block-like hands warily as he delicately poured three steaming cups of mint tea.

"So then, now that we're all nice and comfy, would you mind telling me how you found Soul?"

So Maka told him, the very condensed and heavily edited version of her gallant journey as a dog owner.

"Well, I was walking home from school and it was raining. And I saw a pineapple box..."

* * *

+Well, me attempting to shove a writer's block in a triangular hole (haha...geometry humor) resulted in above chapter.

+Reason for writer's block:

I got a wii, I'm graduating on Thursday, I've been packing for an 8-week vacation, I've been setting up all this crap for college.

+Why I wrote this chapter anyways:

I figured I'd owe it to all the wonderful reviewers who ask me to update since after this one there might not be another for...awhile. (Maybe).

+Response!:

Yeah, I've been feeling the need-for-Kid vibe too (just have no idea how to make him THERE). Well when you think about it, they're pretty much still in that "acquaintance/enemy" stage (so yeah, platonic). Yes I stole the beginning from a manga I read a very long time ago, forgot what it was though. Sorry for the anti-climatic meeting. Now that you point it out...HAHA. Thank you very much I shall try! Because I'm always hungry when I'm writing, and gold-fish is intense. Hopefully they are good suspicions (don't tell anyone this, but he will be making an appearance). Funny story, was watching tomb raider while I wrote that chapter. Embrace the kankle! I also read FT fan fiction :), but the problem is is that I'm not sure what a beta is (because I'm stupid) and I don't know if I'll have time since I will be with my family in the summer. Holy begeezus you said write faster twice (so I wrote twice as much!). Fun=drama, muaahahahaha. One go, woah; you're hard core. It's even better with action-y background music. I am just happy you reviewed :) I used to lurk the HP fanfics. You know what's a fun thing to watch on youtube, how to annoy people on black ops. Thanks :). Thank you. Yay, I'm a drug now. OH MY GOD THERE'S ERRORS?; Just kidding, thank you very much for reviewing and spreading the word too! :)


	14. Mother From Hell

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 14: The Mother From Hell**

A/N: Currently typing on the dinosaur my uncle calls a computer. Malaysia is cheerfully hot and humid like always. Europe was fun. Not like you guys care or anything. I just like building suspense.

* * *

_It was dark._

"_Mommy?" a small Maka asked the rectangular light that was the doorway where a silhouetted figure stood unmoving._

"_Maka.." the feminine voice muttered, confirming it was her mother._

_Maka drew her bunny-print blanket closer to her small frame, she didn't like this. As her mother drew closer, she could see the crazed, desperate look in the older woman's eyes._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Maka…you'll stay with me right? Forever, right? You wouldn't leave me." Two hands shot up from her sides to clasp on to her daughter's shoulders._

"_Mommy..?Mommy that hurts-"_

"_You wouldn't right? Not after what Daddy did to us. Don't let Mommy go through that again." She began rocking her now, so hard Maka's head began slamming on to the head board._

"_Mommy, stop!"_

"_Right? Right? Don't leave me okay? You told me not to be sad anymore right? So you can't leave me! DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

* * *

She should have seen this coming from a mile away.

Given, one doesn't _normally_ expect several hundred (give or take a few) snakes to just show up in the middle of the night and drag you off some where, but when it comes to normal, Maka just kept getting the short end of the stick.

The short end of the stick today happened to be her chained in some unknown cave with dim lighting and no air circulation.

Or she was trapped in the Indiana Jones ride. At least no boulders were coming at her just yet.

Perhaps this was the training Lord Nasal-infection was talking about.

Soul had refused to talk about his own training with her, saying something about "how she has to find out for herself." He is such an ass-wipe sometimes.

But seriously, if this was a training procedure, they were hardcore.

…or not.

There wasn't much intimidation aside from the occasional pitter-patter of a leaky drain. She wondered when the hooded men with the hand-made eye holes would come out screaming Spanish at her.

Or maybe they wouldn't need to talk, simply holding up their guns or maybe a video camera to show just how _pathetic_ she was to the unlucky sod responsible for her ransom.

She hoped it was Little Shit.

Then again maybe not, seeing as how he would probably just point and snicker and go about his business. Or maybe he'd grab Black Star and they could share a couple of laughs at her misery.

Either way, she was in some deep shit right now.

Unless this was a training thing.

So when footsteps began echoing down one of the craggy tunnels (finally!), light drawing near and nearer, Maka built herself up for dragons, unicorns, and everything else her imagination managed to take her through in that lengthy time span. She was sort of put out when a tiny girl peeked her head out from around the corner.

In Maka's opinion, this was the worst kidnapping experience ever.

"Aw, come on." She complained loudly, the girl flinched at her hostile stare, "Are you a ghost? You better be a ghost or I'm _so_ asking for a refund!"

"Um!" the girl squeaked.

"And pink hair? Who _does_ that? Who are you? Who does your hair? Sue them!"

And~ she was gone. Maka sighed as the mop of pink hair disappeared back around the corner. If that was the rescue squad, she was doomed.

She decided to count all the ice cream cones printed on her pajama pants.

Maka was surprised to discover there was quite a few, and was just in the middle of counting the ones on her butt when a high and mighty voice had her jumping a foot in the air.

"My, aren't you vain."

_Well_ look who was talking!

Maka scowled at the blonde in front of her with matching (kind of creepy) eyes and snake tattoos.

That was a big hint.

"Did you bring me here?" she demanded.

The woman examined her nails nonchalantly, "Of course."

"Uh, _why_?"

"Hmm… Usually," she dropped her hand, preferring to squat down next to her kidnapped goods, "I'm not one to pry in to the business of Shibusen."

Oh so it was the Little Shit's fault _again_!

"But when Death Scythe's daughter just happens to stroll in with only a puny dog for security, well…" she only smirked.

Maka's eyes narrowed, "Daughter? Is my _dad_ at Shibusen?"

That threw the woman for a bit, "You don't know?" she asked in her skepticism.

Did it _look_ like she knew?

"I think you have the wrong girl," Maka said, enjoying how unsure the woman looked all of a sudden, "My dad's in a _gang_. You know, the bad guys? Why in the hell-"

"So your father isn't Death Scythe?" the woman confirmed, but suddenly she had that infuriating aloof look again.

"Who?"

The woman scoffed, irritated, "Chrona!" she barked.

There was a small squeak and the pink-haired mouse appeared once more, "Yes!"

"Keep our _guest_ company. I just got some rather amusing information." The woman practically purred as she strutted away.

Information? Maka bit her lip, oops.

"H-hi." The girl fidgeted forward.

"Hi…" Maka responded warily.

"I-I'm Chrona.."

"Nice to meet you." Not really.

"Sorry about all this. My mum is-"

"_Hold the phone_! She's your _mother_?" from fucking _hell_!

"Yeah.. I don't think she likes me very much though.."

Oh…pity.

"Waita waita waita minute here." Maka narrowed her eyes, "She's blonde, and you're..pink. How is that genetically _possible_."

"Well…I h-have a dad too you know.."

…Right.

"Ah. Sorry, kidnapping does that to me."

"N-not a problem.."

An awkward silence washed over them.

"So.." Maka started when the little girl had shown no signs of anything other than to stare at her toes, eyes on the ceiling, "Where are we?"

She was a little surprised when the girl answered the dumbest hostage question of the century. It was the answer itself that surprised her even more.

"My room."

"...nice place you got here."

"Thanks, I guess.."

"Yeah, all these pick axes give it a real homey feel."

"Well Mother is making more room-oops. I don't think I should have told you that.."

"It's okay, I don't understand any of it." Maka sighed, leaning against a rock.

"You know…you're really nice."

Well that was a first.

"_Hah_? You talking to me or the pick axes?"

"Y-you. I don't get much company other than Mum and Ragnorak-ah! I did it again!" she even smacked her forehead for emphasis. Cute.

"Ragnorak? Sibling? Pet dog?" Maka guessed, not really caring.

"Er…sibling I guess."

"You guess?" Maka repeated, "Family problems?"

"You have no idea.."

She switched to comfort mode, "Well look at it this way, one day you'll grow up and be free of this nonsense. Like me. Though I suggest you don't turn out like me.."

Chrona giggled, it didn't look like she did that much, "T-thanks. But I don't think this is something you grow out of.."

So they talked.

And talked and talked and talked.

Maka would have just shut up already if it wasn't for the smile that was steadily growing on the girl's face.

Chrona was shy. That was fairly obvious.

Maka was just on the verge of asking if she was brought here just to be the girl's play mate when a harsh voice ripped through the friendly atmosphere.

"_Chrona!_" a hidden speaker crackled to life.

Maka felt a twinge of pity when the girl scrambled to her feet, "Yes!"

"Come, _now_!"

Chrona didn't even say good bye, simply high-tailing it out of there.

Something wasn't right. That wasn't respect that shone in Chrona's eyes, that was fear. Pure, unadultered fear like some abused animal awaiting its next beating. And her _mother_… there was nothing that resembled such in that woman's voice.

Mother from hell indeed.

She _had_ to get out of here.

* * *

+Okay, I have very long author's notes for you guys

+ One, I'm not much of a person to save her work every 5 minutes, so when I begin typing I don't stop (unless I get bored… or need to pee). So when there's a black-out, I'm as unprepared as they come. I don't think my flashlight even has batteries…

Anyways, so yeah. This story was typed up a while ago. Aha…and there was a black-out. Classic.

So whenever typing up this chapter again ever popped up, this was pretty much my response: "Hell no! I'm not typing this shit _again_!" And obviously that attitude showed in my work.

And then there was the Europe trip and the awesome trip to Grandma's (_groan_), and Avatar was showing on HBO…so, yeah. I did end up typing it though (duh) because I got a message from someone telling me to pick my ass up and get to work (no she didn't say that _exactly_).

And _then_, (yeah there's more) it took two or three days of me considering to even post this chapter (I chopped most of it off), I hate it so damn much. But…

Tada.

+So, expect all the drama above to happen again in some other form, and tell me to hurry the hell up so I will. Because I probably won't until someone tells me to… like waking up. Or making my bed. Or cooking dinner. Or jumping off a cliff. Either way, thank you for your patience.

And if you read all my half-assed excuses and even less of a half-assed chapter, sorry.

Like seriously, I will slap myself just so you don't have to do it. (Or I could re-do the chapter if anyone wants that..I kind of want that too..)

+Review Response

I'm back now and thanks. I would say I want one but I would probably just fall off it. Thanks and congrats to you too! I hate geometry but I love humor haha. Whoever doesn't get writer's block _must _be Jesus. IT'S A REAL WORD? Probably, OK! Yeah, I would say I do that often buuuut I don't . I shall try. Happiness is my goal haha. Thank you thank you no problem. I'm glad it does. Opposite effect, vacation left me tired and empty, on the up side I got a magnet that says Holland. I can tell you right now, "Who the fuck is she?" haha. Sorry for the wait! Uh oh, thanks though. Are you up for the task, I sometimes can't spell my name. Finishing soon hmmm, dunno, maybe, if I do there might be a sequel.


	15. Red Light Green Light

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 15: Red Light Green Light**

A/N: Complete description of my half-assed excuse from last chapter below. I'm sorry. Like, very sorry.

* * *

_He had seen this dream many times before._

_Slowly melting walls like wax, the once smiling face of the clown drooping to a horrific grimace. The wound above his left eye pounded in to his skull, clouding his vision and making him light-headed._

_"W-...Wes..."_

_There was no response, not even a twitch. Soul could only stare at his Meister's lifeless eyes, still wide in excruciating pain. For Wes' body had been..._

_There was the steady clack of heeled boots._

_"...so she really did it..."_

_Soul looked up to glare at the cat witch, her amber eyes unusually solemn. He already had an arm half-raised to summon his scythe._

_"I'm sorry Soul, I really am."_

_His arm wavered, and fell limply to his side._

_"I wish I didn't have to do this."_

_But before Soul could understand the context of her words, her curse hit him dead on. The wind was knocked out of him and he tumbled backwards. Blaire's magic was nothing like Medusa's. There was no killing intent to it, no sadistic joy or cold hatred._

_That didn't mean it felt nice._

_Soul opened his mouth to roar the witch's name before unleashing his fury, but was stunned when a dog's growl came out instead. What happened to the orange ceilings, still cracked from the battle yet lost its bright hue?_

_"Payment complete."_

_Blaire you BITCH! Get back here!_

_"Soul?" he stopped short as the once lifeless body of Wes spoke, but the voice was-_

_Maka...?_

_"Soul..." her head was eye level to him now, and her eyes were frightened. He was rooted in place as Maka coughed up blood that dripped down her already blood-stained face._

_"Am I...dying?"_

_No! he tried to tell her, but she couldn't seem to understand him anymore._

_"I..." she was crying, and it was terrifying, "I don't want to die..."_

* * *

A loud sound woke him then. And his logic was already returning by the time his consciousness did. Of course Maka wouldn't have been at the Circus, she barely came to Shibusen _yesterday_, gave her **heavily** edited story to Lord Death, and was sent to the apartments right outside the academy. He still wondered why Lord Death would do that, after all, it had sounded like he wanted Maka as far away as possible.

Well...who wouldn't, but Lord Death was usually a very patient man. Saint like even. And _there _was that irritating voice again. But then again, Soul figured any voice at 4 in the morning would sound like the bane of existence.

It just didn't help that it was Blaire's.

"Sooooouul~" a needy voice cooed. Soul's ears fell flat on to his skull. _Oh shut up_.

"Come on Soul," she continued slyly, "Wake up."

He could feel her breath on his face and it was _so annoying_.

And then it hit him.

_BLAIRE!_ he shot up like the cork of a wine bottle, _What the fuck are you __**doing **__here!_

"Awww," she puckered her lips in disappointment, "You don't want to see me?"

_Uh...__**no**__._ he stared at her with a mix of skepticism and horror, _Do you have any idea what Maka would __**do**__ to me if she saw you-_

And then it hit him again.

..._Where's Maka?_

Blaire yawned, stretching on the once empty bed that had been his meister's. While she snuggled up to one of the pillows, she casually informed him, "If you're talking about that little girl, she was taken an hour ago."

_Taken? By who?_

"Who else," Blaire purred as she stretched her back, "Would have enough guts to stroll in to Death City, figure out where you're staying, and drop by for a visit?"

Soul pretended to think about it for a moment, _You?_

Blaire rolled her eyes, still playful, "Besides me."

_Come on, you don't think Medu-_

Blaire offered him a moment of silence so his little doggy brain could catch up.

_**FUCK**__! Where is she?_ Blaire frowned at his tone.

"Awww don't bark at me little Soul. I'm trying to be helpful here." Blaire pouted, one eye peeking over the pillow. She smirked when she heard a frustrated huff while he took a moment to calm himself.

_Fine, be that way. Where is she?_

"Well how am I supposed to know~?"

_**BLAIRE-**_

"It's not like anything is in it for _me_. Why should I care what happens to your precious meister?"

_...What do you want_.

She couldn't hold back a grin, "Let's see..."

She flipped on to her back, forefinger tapping her chin as she contemplated, "What would be equivalent to saving your meister to get you back on the road to being free from your doggy prison.."

_You do realize it's __**your**__ fault I'm this way._ Soul stated blankly.

"Shush, I'm trying to think here~ Or do you not want my help?"

Soul sighed, _Whatever.. hurry up before I call Lord Death to hunt your sorry ass._

"Which would be horrible for me," Blaire drawled, unperturbed. Her cat ears suddenly spiked up, "_I know_! Oh this would help me _so_ much!"

Soul waited, tense.

"Take me to him."

_Huh? To who?_

Blaire seemed to be losing her patience, "Lord Death of course."

* * *

_This_ was life or death.

Maka knew it would come down to this.

After all, she'd been training since she was 5.

It was a deadly art, a game of chance. But more so, would she have the balls to do it?

Chrona stared back at her, usually vacant eyes nervous yet excited. She was new to this, it was obvious.

Maka could feel the hairs pricking at the back of her neck as she lifted a hand, slowly creeping to the two objects between them. And then it came down to the final question.

Would Chrona really be that devious?

Maka held her breath, and before she could wussy out, swiped the card to the left. She gave Chrona's blank mask a hard stare, before slowly peeking at the card...

"_MOTHER FUCKING SHIT FROM HELL_!" she bellowed, making Chrona giggle, and threw the joker down in her rage.

Chrona gathered the cards to shuffle them again, uncharacteristically aloof to Maka's swearing.

"How about we play something other than Old Maid?"

"How could I lose to a _newbie_!" Maka wailed, pulling her hair in frustration.

Chrona was still giggling when another light grew brighter down the hall.

"Having fun are we?"

This time, both of them jumped.

Medusa leaned against one of the walls with her arms crossed, looking like she had a superiority complex like usual.

"Chrona, when I say you're guarding out prisoner," Medusa drawled, examining her nails, "You don't entertain her, you make sure she doesn't escape."

"S-sorry, Mother." Chrona shot up, scooting away from Maka.

"Uh, can I go yet?" Maka asked blankly.

Medusa gave her a wry look, "No."

"...can I go now?"

"_No_."

"How about now?"

"...fine."

"Really?"

"**No**!" and with that Maka found herself staring in a daze at the ceiling, her stomach hurting like hell. If Medusa smacked her _one more freaking time_ (she stopped counting after she ran out of fingers) Maka was gonna kill a bitch.

"Now just shut up and be a good prisoner. _Chrona_!"

"Y-yes!"

"If you so much as _talk_ to her, I'm bringing out Ragnarok. You got that?"

"Y-yes..."

Maka stared in a daze up at the rocks, the ache in her stomach feeling like someone just set a hot pain on her stomach. By the time Medusa left, she had already formulated a question in her mind.

"Chrona..."

"...I _really_ can't talk to you Maka..."

"Who's Ragnarok?" she knew Chrona felt the meaning of her words. Not who Ragnarok was but _why_ was this person a threat?

There was a small pause, "H-he...he's an assassin..."

Maka took this in for a moment.

"H-he..." Chrona continued, "He likes killing...it scares me..."

The last part was a pained whisper, and Maka scowled.

"I'm going to get you out of here." she sat up despite the pain in her abdomen.

"W-what?"

"I promise." Maka glared at the hallway where Medusa came and went, "You'll be free from this."

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this.."

"Come on~ I even gave you a human form and everything! Though it's only temporary of course. My magic isn't infinite ya' know." Blaire chirped, unusually chipper on her way to the _guillotine._..literally.

"Yeah, yeah... Blaire I hope you're prepared, not that I would mind seeing you gutted right about now." Soul muttered the last part, but Blaire heard it all the same.

"How rude! I want to help, and you're being so mean..."

"You turned me in to a fucking _dog_... A small dog! Why couldn't I have been big or...or menacing or something!" Soul ranted for the sake of it, turning on the usual corner to face the daunting gates of Shibusen. Well here went nothing...

"I thought it was cute~ And it's not like the curse is permanent, you remember the way to break it right?" The cute remark ticked him the hell off.

"What the **fuck** ever! You make it sound so easy, '_get a new meister_'!" he imitated her with a high pitched voice as they walked past the gates to the ridiculously large staircase.

She pouted, "I do _not_ sound like that, I _don't_ sway my hips like that, and I don't move my head like _that_!"

"_What are you doing, Soul_."

"And here it goes," he muttered under his breath. They hadn't even made it anywhere close to the academy yet, the barely made it to the staircase!

"Uh...hey Kirikou."

The boy was anything but his usual casual self, "You disappear for a month and now you show up with a _witch_?"

As if to make matters worse, Blaire just smiled and waved.

"Yeah...funny story really, you see my meister got kidnapped-"

"Wes is dead, if you haven't heard yet."

Soul scowled, "Yes I _figured_. I got a new meister."

That stumped Kirikou for a bit, "You serious? I thought you had a one in a _billion_ chance of finding even one meister. And you find _two_?"

"Story of my life," Soul sighed in exasperation. But he knew the drill, his eyes were scanning their surroundings carefully.

"If you're looking for Fire and Thunder, they're taking their naps up at the Academy."

"So it's just you huh?" Soul was already raising his arm, his other hand still casually in his pocket.

"I didn't come here to fight you, Soul. I came to kill that witch."

"Well, then I guess you'll have to fight me anyways." and Soul was running at him, scythe positioned in his hand.

But before Kirikou could even make a defensive stance Soul was suddenly thrown to the side, making a deranged noise even though nothing had hit him.

He fell in an unceremonious pile on the floor, his weapon disappearing, and him wheezing for air.

The two boys cursed at the same time in confusion, "...the _fuck_..."

Blaire's eyes flashed mischievously, "You should hurry up, Soul. I don't think Maka's having a dandy time in Medusa's hide out."

And then the reason for his coming here was like another punch to the stomach.

_Maka_.

* * *

"...Chrona?" Maka squawked in alarm when Chrona suddenly keeled to the floor, writhing in some sort of agony. Just a second ago Chrona had been coming back with some food for the both of them, a small smile on her face.

Broken porcelain and some sort of broth laid on the floor. Some of the pieces were cutting in to Chrona's exposed skin.

"...I'm s-sorry, Maka..." the girl managed out.

"...what's wrong?" Maka's chains clinked as they restrained her from getting too close to the girl.

"He's coming..." she whispered, covering her eyes, "I-I don't understand w-why Mother would...heh."

And then Chrona started laughing.

"...Chrona?" Maka asked again in shock as she watched her only friend having a laughing fit on the floor where she was once cringing in pain.

And then it stopped.

Chrona laid silent on the floor, head pressed against the rock so Maka couldn't see her face.

"...you really don't get it, you ignorant slut." the voice was Chrona, but what she said...

Maka unconsciously took an unsteady step back when Chrona jerked to her feet then, a crazed, haughty look in her eyes. Her grin spread from ear to ear.

"_I_ am Ragnarok."

* * *

+So I managed to finish about half this chapter today, which is pretty cool seeing as how I write about two sentences and take a three day break. If you all would listen to The Gallows by Eksi Ekso, you will understand why I suddenly wrote the rest of the chapter :P.

+Chapter named after the fact POV switches from Soul to Maka

+ The time period between Maka's first scene and her last scene is a bit lengthy. So don't go thinking right after Chrona was complaining about Ragnarok, **BAM** she suddenly becomes him.

+Er, and when Soul suddenly gets nailed in the stomach, _that_ was kinda him feeling Medusa kicking Maka.

Hope that explains things.

RESPONSE:

Gracias. Okay _okay __**OKAY**_ :). He was sleeping, and don't worry I got _ideas._ Thanks, and yes, yes they are. None taken, I decided the holes were part of the plot (not saying I was planning them to be part of the plot). SHE WILL TRY (she really will). Thank you for your honesty, I've decided not to rewrite the last chapter but instead improvise (reasons in full below; and my deepest apologies for my **failure**). I have about a week in the most boring place in the world, so expect another update (don't expect too hard though). It was rushed so I'M REALLY SORRY. Thanks! Yeah, that's what I thought after I posted it, but then I figured "heh, maybe they were in an apartment OUTSIDE Shibusen." I am a genius (not really). Well since you so _rudely_ demanded...just kidding, thank you for the motivation! Thank you :). Well you asked for it, GET YOUR BUTT IN GEAR AND START WRITING! With Gatorade. Hah...me too. Yeah I didn't like the idea of having the PERFECT MOTHERLY FIGURE, so I made her mom insane. Soul's between a rock and a hard place at the moment. Uh I think I mentioned it (yeah I checked, I did) but no one probably got it; her mom's in Pennhurst, it's a crazy house. LO SIENTO. Haha you neither, I mean, SORRY. First review, woaaaaaah, I feel...honored. Yes, yes. I do like rabbits, so I guess that's okay. Thank you, will do. I hadn't really thought about the mystery part until you mentioned it, so now I'm gonna try and focus on that because mystery is cool, thank you for reviewing :).

++I figured the part I skipped last chapter would be some sort of mysterious key to EVERYTHING...:D++

So, filling in the holes that I won't mention later for you guys.

Maka tells Lord Death the story.

For some reason, he sends the two to spend the night in an apartment outside Shibusen before Maka starts her training the next day.

She gets kidnapped.

Kidnapper is Medusa.

Guard is Chrona.

Soul was sleeping.

Done.


	16. The Death Room

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 16: The Death Room**

A/N: Anyone read the new Soul Eater series yet? Because I made a reference to them, but I'll let you figure it out.

* * *

It was like the first day Soul had arrived at Shibusen, tied up and covered in dirt. Heads peered out of their classrooms and people roaming the halls stopped in their tracks.

All to stare at the anomaly which was Blaire.

It didn't help she had a standard witch wardrobe. Her tight black dress and large hat screamed "_I'm a witch! Kill me!_". Either that or "_I'm pretty in love with myself_." Neither translation seemed to bode well as shocked expressions quickly melted in to deathly glares.

Soul did his best to not act nervous, settling on a facade of careful nonchalance, his hands shoved deeply in to the pockets of his pants. It could have been due to the fact that one two-star Guardian and Meister were on either sides of her, but no one made a move against Blaire.

She didn't seem to notice the awe, nor the killing intent, and had a small smile on her face that grew the closer they got to the death room.

"You sure know how to make an entrance.." Kirikou muttered as they rounded another hall.

"It's not by choice, trust me." Soul replied, throwing his eyes to the heavens in exasperation when another flock of N.O.T. kids screamed at the sight of She-who-is-the-source-of-all-misfortune.

"I thought you liked the attention, Soul." Blaire hummed, heels merrily clacking against tiled floors. Each step constantly jabbing Soul with the reminder of why he was here.

It was why he wasn't running the opposite direction yet.

The sight of the familiar tall double doors had him shoving his hands deeper in to his pockets.

The doors opened of their own accord, as usual, but Soul couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding despite the cheery blue sky and white cloud background. The graves didn't help much.

As if immune to any self-preservation sense (which she probably was), Blaire began her trek down the path. Soul followed at a less merry pace, giving a curt nod to Kirikou before the Meister disappeared behind the closing doors.

He was expecting anything, as he walked next to Blaire to the center of the room.

Anything but the obvious.

Soul barely had time to wonder why the guillotine was falling _now_ of all times when he gave a shout of surprise and grabbed Blaire. He jumped out of the way of the falling blade, rolling to break his fall.

The two barely had time to realize what just happened when the next guillotine lined up came crashing down.

Soul was distantly reminded of the domino effect while racing down the path, yanking Blaire's wrist along the way, while blade after blade was let loose to come and get 'em.

Then it hit him, what the _fuck_ was he doing?

He didn't bother to check if Blaire was okay when he summoned his scythe, pushing it upwards to meet with the persistent little fuckers. The two blades met with an ear-twitching _clang_ both metals vibrating from the force of it all.

So Soul was pretty much out of ideas when his scythe's blade started to crack.

"Aw..._fuck_." he surmised just as his weapon shattered and the guillotine lunged for his throat.

And at that instant Blaire came up with something amazing.

She grabbed the remnants of his now-known stick and yanked him sideways, out of the pathway, on to the sandy banks of the graveyard.

He fell on his ass, as pathetic as that was really, and could only watch in detached amazement as the last line-up of guillotines fell one by one.

He commented between labored breaths, "Huh...didn't...thank of that..."

"This is why you're the brawns and I'm the brains," Blaire chirped, dusting off her high boots.

Neither honestly saw it coming when a hole, or more accurately a _grave_, opening up under her kneeling form. She barely had time for a surprised expression before hundreds of hands reached up to grab at every inch of her they could find and yank her down in to the depths.

Soul was still reaching for her when a tomb stone jerked up from the sand, reading in pre-written letters:

_**Blaire IV the Cat of Hallow**_

* * *

Maka blearily realized she was hanging upside down. Something wet dripped from her ice cream print PJ's and something else much more thick coated her forehead.

"Up yet, _Princess_?" a voice drawled.

Maka was about to respond, had her mouth open and everything, when a blow to her cheek stopped her.

"Up-side _down_ more like!" the voice jeered followed by a cackle.

She spat out blood, maybe even a tooth but she didn't want to think about that right now, "Hah..." she responded, wincing at the weakness in her voice, "I see what you did there."

And upside-down Chrona, or should she say Ragnarok, leered at her with an expression she found vaguely familiar.

"This is going to sound weird and all..." Maka said, not staring at anything in particular seeing as how she was slowly spinning from the force of the previous hit, "But you look _a little_ bit like my Mum."

She had spun another round in time to see Ragnarok's less-than-pleased face when a foot got intimate with her side. _Hah_, now she was spinning **and** swinging! _Joy_.

"Ow," Maka replied loudly, wincing when her tender head bumped against a stalagmite.

"What? You got a _mummy-complex_ or somethin'? Ey, Bitch?" Ragnarok waited until Maka swung close enough to flip her off.

"I'm just saying, you crazy people are a lot alike is all." Maka calmly stated. She had to actively fight down a yelp when a hand yanked her pigtail and she could see a patch of pink hair before something slid down her throat.

* * *

Soul stared in shock at the tombstone which now belonged to Blaire joined the many others residing in the Death Room. Aptly named...

"You bring interesting friends, Soul~" a familiar nasal voice greeted.

"She's dead?" he asked, reaching out to touch the stone.

"Hmm..yes her soul was swallowed. Any creature with magical power other than Guardians not approved by me that enters the Death Room face the same dilemma."

"So... now what?" he didn't know whether to feel like laughing or howling in rage, "I just... brought Maka here to die? That's..."

His forehead rested on the stone, his teeth mashing painfully against each other, "_I have to save her_."

"Hmm? Maka was kidnapped was it?" Lord Death asked. Soul felt a large in-human hand grip his elbow and lift him to his feet. It was nostalgic really, from so long ago.

But there was no bright future this time, as Lord Death led him to the circular patio for tea. There was no Meister waiting for him at the table. It was all over.

"Now Soul, I thought we taught you better," the god lightly chided, "Well... this does explain the spy in the academy, so I can't be entirely surprised."

"Spy?" Soul echoed, a little lost. His world was down spiraling slowly, though Lord Death didn't appear to notice.

"Yes, a girl named Chrona who just entered the E.A.T. classes. Apparently she had left the girl's dormitory in secret last night and hasn't been found since. Further research in to her file led to this and that..."

Soul felt himself being gently pushed on to a low stool, a cup of steaming tea already in front of him.

"I suppose it was a bad idea to assign you such a far off location."

"You think?" Soul couldn't even manage a growl at that point, his mind was racing on ideas to save Maka. All coming up squat.

"Soul, are you alright?"

"You **think**?" this time it was a growl and he glowered at his principal, "Blaire is **dead**, the only way to Medusa's lair is **gone**. _Why the hell would I be alright_?"

Lord Death sighed then, filling his own cup, "This is why you shouldn't sleep through so many classes, Soul, you shouldn't rely on your Meisters for everything."

That stumped him, hands still on the edges of the table in his anger, "..._huh_?"

"Have you checked your form lately?"

"My form- what the f-"

"Language~"

"-_**fudge**_, are you talkin' about, Old Man."

"You're still human, right?"

It slowly dawned on him.

"Which can either mean the curse was lifted, unlikely. or..."

_Or Blaire was-_

"I'm still alive?" a bubbly voice offered for Soul's silence.

He _would_ have swung around to stare in awe at the miraculously _alive_ witch behind him, if whip lash hadn't stopped him half-way.

"Oh, **FUCK**!"

There was a small sigh, "Teens these days and their potty-mouths."

Blaire only beamed, taking a spot next to Soul.

"Would you like some tea, Miss?"

"No thanks, I'll pass."

"_Blaire?_ _The hell_-"

"Soul~"

"-heck. You doin' **alive**?"

Blaire gave him a look that told him it should be fairly obvious, "Because I'm not a witch?"

Lord Death nodded, "Indeed."

"B-b-b-but all the magic, and the curses, what in the-"

"Cats gotta have her defenses you know," Blaire grabbed the tip of her hat with her thumb and forefinger, lifting it to reveal a set of two violet-colored cat ears.

"Of course."

"But even Medusa called you a witch and _this just isn't normal_!"

"Well, no it's not normal for _most_ cats. But for magic cats like me, it's pretty okay."

"You didn't really read her gravestone did you, Soul?" Lord Death inquired, sipping his tea.

"Yes, I did." Soul snapped, "It said Blaire the...Cat of Hallow..."

"Or more correctly _Blaire IV_. Young miss, how many times have you died?"

"Counting now? Four~"

"Cats have nine souls, I believe you were taught this your first year."

"Er...yeah I knew all about that..." Soul scratched the back of his neck self-consciously, "So you knew she was a cat all along?"

"Of course not!" Lord Death replied happily.

Soul restrained his head from hitting the table.

"I knew once I checked the gravestone, witches don't have IV's or V's, they're known by their titles which are unique to their personality. There's no need for numbers."

"...right..."

"It's okay, Soul," Blaire chirped, patting his head.

"_Ugh_...can we just..." Soul couldn't stop his eye from twitching, "Focus on... the task at hand here."

He really had enough surprises to last him the day, or a life time.

So when he was suddenly flung on to his back by no other will than the bond which had suddenly sparked to life, Soul braced himself for the onslaught.

* * *

"Well? You like it?"

Soul could barely feel the jab at his tied-up arms while hacking his guts out.

"Water torture, Spain sure had its bright moments, don't you think?"

He was just coughing up the last bits of alien fluid when he felt the tube poke in to his mouth ruthlessly. The sob that left his mouth wasn't his, and his body was struggling of his own accord.

The truth hit Soul like a bus on a slope.

"Stop," Maka tried to say around the plastic tube while a girl with pink hair eagerly filled a metal pot with water.

"_Hah_?" the girl looked at him...her then with an expression that resembled a particular brand of crazy, "_Why_?"

And the tube was flung out of their mouth when the metal container smacked them maliciously in the face.

"Awww...maybe it _is_ too dark in here," the girl sneered, looking around for the tube, "Hmm.. I'll get a candle, don't move now you hear?"

As the footsteps faded, and Maka tried to gain her mind, she heard him.

_Maka..._

She jerked, as if she heard him from far off.

"Soul?" she whispered, their voice was hoarse, cracking even if it was one syllable.

_What..._ he stopped to contain himself, _How bad are you?_

The corners of their lip twitched, "Never felt better... How 'bout you?"

Soul snorted, _Lovely, you haven't lost your sense of humor_.

"Disappointed?"

_Surprisingly, no_. Soul looked around, it was some sort of cave. No light seemed to be able to drift in.

"I'm honored." Maka closed her eyes, the only form of rest she could get.

_Any idea where you are?_

"Disneyland." Maka answered simply, she paused, "I think."

_...are you being serious this time or..._

"Eh... not really, I really don't know, Soul." she coughed then.

_Maka... I'm coming to save you, alright? So hang on until I get there._

"Aaah... normally I'd say take your time but.." she coughed again, "The food sucks here."

_I'll bring a soft pretzel when I come save your ass._ Soul felt their mouths twitch again.

"Make it two."

* * *

+ Fun fact: I already had a proto-type of this chapter (kind of) like _weeks_ ago. And at the title of the document in big red letters was: CHRONA INFILTRATED SHIBUSEN REMEMBER? I BET YOU DON'T.

And I thought: oh yeah huh...

I love how I know myself so well.

+Fun fact #2: I **just** realized you could reply to reviews via **reply to reviews** button. I facepalm at the stupidity of it all. So don't think I was being a jerk by not replying to any of you in my other stories. Okay, I'm a little bit of a jerk, because I still won't respond to them. Haha...

RESPONSE:

Weren't we all. I'll do you one better, I'll write TWO CHAPTERS. Yeah, him and Maka both. I got sun burnt, which totally ruined my week (yeah he did). I'm typing at the speed of light :). I was originally going to make them separate but thought better of it haha. Hope this is interesting enough. Blaire is just awesome that way. Shall do.

Next chapter on its way.


	17. The Worst Hostage Ever

Acquired Taste

Chapter 17: The Worst Hostage Ever

A/N: Just because I **must** have a note at the begginning of every chapter.

* * *

Maka felt eerily empty once Soul's presence left her conscience. Well, that's where she supposed he was. Unless he was in her body or something which would have made him a girl for a minute or two.

Ragnarok walked in upon Maka's snickers. He grimaced with a disbelieving look, "The _fuck_? You off your rocker or something?"

Huh, she's been wondering that herself lately.

"No, I just thought of something funny is all." Maka explained, once again to nothing in particular, until Ragnarok walked in to her range of sight, carrying a small candle holder with, well what do you know, a candle sticking straight out of it.

"Hmm? Do tell." Ragnarok feigned interest, leaning against a pillar, the picture of patience.

"Be prepared to laugh your socks off." Maka warned, "Okay, so a rabbi and a black man walk in to a bar-"

The chains holding her ankles up clinked before breaking in two. Maka hit the ground head first. She cussed as elegantly as possible:

"_What kind of fuckery is this?_"

Some sort of bag was hauled over her head and she felt something dragging her with little concern to exactly how rough the floor was.

"Mother says to take you to the Circus." Ragnarok said cheerfully.

"Do you do everything your Mummy tells you?" Maka jeered before an irritated fist flew her in first class to the country of unconscious. She gargled out a, "I _really_ dislike clowns..." before Ragnarok was blessed with the bow-wrapped gift of silence.

* * *

"What to do...you drive a hard bargain Ms. Blaire." Soul blearily registered Lord Death's voice a few ways off followed by a much more feminine tone.

"I take what I can." Blaire responded, voice not engineered to sound serious, but Soul figured that was as close as it got.

"_Ugh_..."

"Oh? Is he waking up?" Blaire perked up again, and he could see her blurred form through the slits of his eyes.

"Be careful, don't go to near his arm." Lord Death instructed sternly.

"Aw~ He won't hurt me."

"What?" Soul asked, trying to prop himself up but realizing something grating against the cement was _right next to him_.

He swerved his head right in further inspection, only to have a small heart attack at the blade protruding from his shoulder joint where his arm was suppose to be attached.

He did the only reasonable thing he could think of that moment, and punched the blade with a strength powered by pure adrenaline.

He might has well have kicked himself in the funny bone.

Blaire and Lord Death watched with growing patience as Soul howled in pain, flailing like a fish on land.

"His reflexes are sharp at least." Lord Death offered as a silence breaker while Soul struggled to regain his breath on the floor.

"Self-preservation not so much." Blaire added which caused a growl to rumble up Soul's throat.

"_Excuse me_ for having a small panic attack." he bit out while sitting up, eyeing the red and black blade warily, "What the f-"

He caught Lord Death's stern gaze, or as stern as a skull-mask with two eyeholes could be. The gloved hand already positioned for a Shinigami-chop was a good hint though.

"...fish...just happened."

"Fish? _Really_?" a familiar, and very unwelcome, guest guffawed. Soul watched with fully bloomed irritation as Black Star jumped off one of the guillotine posts, Tsubaki following in a much more subdued pace.

"_Dude,_ the fuck is up with your arm-"

"**Shinigami chop**."

Lord Death calmly sipped his tea while Black Star laid on the floor dying.

"I will not tolerate any more cursing in my office. This is a sacred place."

"I'd beg to differ," Soul coughed awkwardly to hide his comment, "Uuuh...so about Maka.."

"Ah, yes. How is she?"

Soul stared at Lord Death like he'd just taken off his mask to reveal a cow's head, "How'd you know I was talking to her?"

Two sets of index fingers pointed at the blade by his shoulder which was slowly, if not weirdly, turning back in to a human arm.

"Uuh..." Soul supplied for them.

"The highest level of the bond, fusion accompanied with transformation. Never seen it performed with the Meister and guardian so far away, hmm..." Lord Death stared at the ceiling then in contemplation.

"...why have I never heard about this." Soul dead-panned.

"Um.." Tsubaki piped up, cradling an unconscious Black Star, "They taught this to us our second year. That's how guardians become death scythes."

"...Oh." Soul blinked sheepishly.

"Mmmn~ I'm bored," Blaire whined, "Let's go to the Circus already!"

The hairs on the back of Soul's neck spiked, "Circus?"

"Yes," Lord Death gave Soul a pitying look, "That's where Medusa's taken Maka."

"...that's not possible."

"Don't have to tell me twice." a new voice stated from across the patio.

"Oh _crap_." Soul covered his eyes with a hand. The situation was going downhill in a get away car at that moment.

"What trouble has the little brat gotten us in again?" Death Scythe, in his usual business wear, asked from the mirror's reflection. Waving at Soul from behind his back which the other guardian could clearly see.

Waving with one finger.

"_Why is he here_?" Soul groaned out.

"Lord Death's orders, not mine. You got a problem with it you useless brat, huh?" the man turned his glare to Soul, "You get a new Meister and lose 'em the moment you step foot on Shibusen? Let me be the first to tell you: **epic failure**. It's obvious this twerp has no brain function left. Might as well save his Meister by myself with _my hands tied behind my back_."

Soul was already nose to mirror with Death Scythe, "You wanna repeat that, you say it to my face you perverted _Gramps_."

"Gramps!" the older man echoed in fury before back-tracking after a glance over Soul's right shoulder, "The heck you think you're talking...to -_oh damn_. Who is that _fine_ looking lady you got over there."

Blaire only blinked as Death Scythe combed his hair back with his fingers, "Is she coming with us?"

She just gave a small smile and wink, "Yeah~ But if you're late we might have to leave you behind~"

And Death Scythe disappeared in a trail of dust.

* * *

Maka found it completely crazy awesome she had changed clothes since her pajamas just won't cut it after all the shit it had been through. Even if this dress was as itchy as a thousand mosquito bites.

"This is the Circus." Medusa spoke from the doorway, leaning against the frame.

Maka figured, from the pinstripe walls and clown heads. Her stomach took a moment to settle when she realized they were _real_ clown heads.

"Things... they come here to die." she said ominously.

"Sounds like my playroom when I was four." Maka commented listlessly, shifting on the red velvet couch she sat on.

Medusa sighed, "You are by far the worst hostage I've ever had the misfortune of capturing."

"Thank you," Maka really meant it, "If I could, I would invent an award for the most vain bitch in all the universe just so I could give it to you-"

Medusa was in front of her in an instant and Maka coughed to hide her shout of surprise. Gravely, she held up a small handkerchief. Maka eyed her warily.

"What does this smell like?" Medusa suddenly asked, throwing her off guard.

Just for curiosity's sake, and if nothing else, the neglected voices in her head, Maka sniffed, "I'm gonna guess chloro-...chloro..._fuck_..."

Medusa sighed when Maka's head titled back in to unconsciousness, "You are also the least intelligent hostage. Chrona!"

"...Y-yes, Mother?"

"I'll un-bind you if you do me a... _small_ favor."

Chrona sat in a corner of the room where Maka couldn't see her. Spikes protruded from her wrists and elbows, pinning her to the wall. Blood dripped freely from them to join the already red splattered floor, "Y-yes...Mother..."

* * *

Death Scythe was oddly quiet for the last half of the journey to the Circus. For that, Soul would have been eternally grateful, if not for the fact Death Scythe was _never_ quiet.

_Especially_ when someone like Blaire, of all the women under the sun, was flying side saddle next to him. Death Scythe may have been the strongest weapon in the world, but it was all for nothing if he had a woman on his radar.

The first half of the trip had been hell.

If Death Scythe wasn't insulting Soul, he was oggling quite loudly at Blaire. Coupled with Black Star's, who might as well been holding a mega phone with all the good he was doing, out bursts and Blaire's flirting, Soul might as well just dig his head in the sand and let scorpions eat him alive or something.

Kid had already flown back in to an hour of their travels, foaming from the mouth as he spun back to Death City on Beelzebub.

"Candles" was Kid's only reply when Black Star shouted questions.

Soul rolled his eyes and focused on the mission.

It was around midnight when Blaire decided to spout small talk, something Soul despised but utterly _needed_ at that moment.

"How was she when you saw her?" Blaire asked casually, enjoying the breeze on her flying pumpkin.

Soul didn't really want to answer. She was bad, worse than what she was playing off if the pain was any indication, "She was..."

He settled back in to silence, which sent Tsubaki to sit next to him in concern.

"How was she Soul? How was Maka?"

Soul remembered it was around that time Death Scythe stopped yelling at Black Star for god knows what.

"She...bad." he finally managed, slumping lower. He felt Tsubaki's comforting hand on his back.

"We'll save her. If I know Maka, she's probably giving Medusa hell."

That made him feel a _little_ better.

"We'll find out soon enough." Blaire chirped, pointing at the horizon, "There's the city."

Soul stood up to gaze at the ruined buildings slowly growing with their pace. A large colorful tent dominated the center, no doubt playing the eerie music from last time.

The Circus.

* * *

+please don't hit me

+Fresh off the word doc, not gonna read it. (I'm back in America by the way, my sleep schedule is waaaay off the norm)

RESPONSE:

My evil, perverse thought was throwing Death Scythe in to the mix. I'm not sure, it could be a gift it could be a curse but either way I'm glad I could entertain you. Yep. Yeah this was supposed to be an AU but my creativity is at its limit so now it's a semi-AU (and thank you). Thank you, and I'm trying but blah _blah blah_. I am honored, I shall try to update faster as soon as I settle back in to the American life, and thank you. Shall try, and I'm glad you do because I have no idea how I'm going to get there. Shall do. Thanks, and I will. Ummm, the NOT and EAT classes. It'll forever be a mystery~. They seem to be focusing more on life style than action. Haha, will try. I think she's genetically wired like that. Okay! I read from Mangafox, they have most of the manga I read.


	18. The Circus

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 18: The Circus**

A/N: Going to post this before I rip it off my computer screen and flush it down the toilet.

* * *

_"Back so soon?" Dr. Hatcher asked kindly, swiping his key card in front of the elevator doors._

_Maka nodded non-commitally, fingers gripping the small paper bag of home-made cookies in her nervousness._

_"You're a good girl, I'm sure your mom will get better in no time." They were empty words, but Maka didn't blame him for them._

_The ride up the elevator was short, but Maka's nervousness grew ten-fold when the doors finally opened. Dr. Hatcher just gave a reassuring pat and nodded since his stop was the floor above._

_She took a deep breath and stepped out. The hall was completely white, several empty wheelchairs were lined against the walls. A nurse or two could be seen walking briskly to and fro._

_There were no windows._

_Maka walked down the hall, every now and then passing the occasional loud outburst and blood-curling shriek. Her grip on the paper bag tightened to the point where her knuckles were completely white._

_Room 305 was the first door on the adjacent hall. A nurse with a cart of lunch trays had just stopped in front. The woman glanced at Maka and smiled, pointing at a tray with "305" written on a sticky note._

_"You picked a good day, Dear. There's pudding for dessert."_

That_ made Maka smile if only slightly. She remembered when she and her mom tried to make pudding after moving in to their new house. The kitchen had been wrecked._

_Maka was inching forward while the nurse unlocked the door. It swung open with an ominous groan._

_She dropped her frosted sugar cookies._

_The once innocent and pretty red frosting smearing the floor like some ironic aftermath. The nurse gasped, immediately pushing the button on a small device by her hip._

_"Nurses to room 305. Nurses to room 305. This is an emergency, someone page Dr. Robinson-"_

* * *

"Maka, oi, Maka. Geez... do you always snore this loud?" an absolutely _obnoxious_, _moronic_ and completely welcome voice called loudly. She felt something very wet that smelled like metal smack her face with little consideration and grimaced.

"If that is your drool, you better have your grave ready." she opened her eyes slowly to Soul's guffaw.

"Just blood, I slipped and fell on a...well, let's talk about that later." he was already guiding her to the doorway, which was sliced in half by one friendly scythe currently positioned over Soul's shoulder.

Loud noises of splintering wood, bangs, and downright bombs rocked the building. Loose debris and the occasional clown head fell from the ceiling from the vibrations.

Her eye strayed to the corner of the room and stopped. Her gaze traced the holes in the wall paper surrounded by red, almost like a crudely painted flower.

Stopping made Soul nearly trip.

"Where's Chrona?"

"_Huh_, oh the crazy one?" Soul twirled a finger over his ear, "Fighting Liz and Patty. Death Scythe is keeping Medusa occupied, so I figured I'd come pick you up."

Her head swirled and she wasn't sure if it was from the drug, being nauseous, or both.

"Blaire's waiting outside with our get away...pumpkin thing. Come on-"

"No."

"...'scuse me?" he stared at her with a guarded expression, as if he wasn't exactly sure if his ears were rebelling.

"**No**." she pronounced the word, glaring at him. She took her wrist back from his grasp and stomped through the doorways herself, him following like the _dog_ he was.

"And why the hell not?" he asked in a testy voice, sounding way too much like her Mother (minus the swearing) for her to handle after a dream like _that._

"Because I said so." she responded in the same tone, stomping down a flight of delicate looking stairs. He followed at a slightly quieter place.

Slightly.

"Listen _bitch_." he snapped, swinging her around by her shoulders, "I went through _absolute hell_ to get here to rescue your ass."

"I don't need your _help_," she snapped back, yanking her wrist to no avail, "I could get out here fine by myself! In fact, I wouldn't need _any help at all_ if it wasn't for you!"

He flinched -well it was true!- and said in a slightly softer voice, "I'm sorry okay?"

She was floored, "...What?"

He exhaled moodily, staring up at a suddenly very interesting clown head on the ceiling, "It's just.. all this shit is my fault and every time something happens to you it's my head always on the chopping block and- _fuck can we just go_?"

She was about to slap his hand away but his other hand caught her only free wrist.

"You suck at apologies!" she spat, "And let...me...go!"

In an effort to not get smacked to the death, he slammed her against a wall already cracked with some previous force.

"What you're with _Medusa_ now?" he sneered, "Figures you'd join the _witch_ side of the fight."

"Medusa?" she hissed back, making him raise an eyebrow in challenge, "_Medusa?_ _You don't even need my help in killing your brain cells anymore_-**ugh**, I can't stand her!"

"Then why stay here!" he demanded, nose to nose with her now.

"I promised Chrona!" she had to yell after that last explosion, her ears were still ringing.

"...what?" he asked, the calm before the storm.

"Chrona, you know," she made a vague imitation of Soul's 'crazy' gesture with her pointer finger since her arms were pinned to the wall.

He was completely stunned, recalling something along the lines of water torture, "..._Why?_"

Maka puffed her cheeks and looked at the clown head Soul was so avidly interested in so long ago. Huh... it had a clock jammed in its mouth...

"...Are you _crying_?"

...oooh _crap_.

"Shit..." she looked to the side now, trying very hard not to hyperventilate, "Uh...allergies...from the clown heads... or something."

"Allergic to clowns, never heard that one before," was his weak response, his forehead rested on the wall above her left shoulder, "What's going on in your big-ass head now, Maka?"

...

"..."

"Whatever you're plotting will probably get you killed anyway, so might as well." he added.

Good point.

She exhaled, grimacing, "Why do I have to tell _you_ of all people."

"I could get Black Star," Soul suddenly offered, she couldn't see his grin but she could tell it was there, "I bet he'd _love_ to hear your problems-"

"**Okay**. Okay, I get it." Maka's own head leaned forward, slightly grazing his collar bone. She closed her eyes for a couple moments. Soul would have thought she was asleep if it wasn't for the trickle of something wet falling down his chest.

He busied himself with looking at the clown head again.

"You know how I said my mum's at Pennhurst, the nuthouse?"

Soul nodded, she didn't see it but continued anyway.

"I... lied."

There was another rumble and something that sounded like "vector arrow" before Maka spoke again.

"Well, technically I didn't.. her _grave_ is near Pennhurst."

"...grave." Soul felt like she needed verbal confirmation. Didn't seem like it and she was muttering now, in such a broken, tortured voice Soul had to actively concentrate on the red and yellow stripes of the wallpaper to not hug her.

"-if only I had visited the day before this wouldn't have happened but dad wouldn't let me and the next thing I know she's _dead_..."

He could feel her fingers flexing against the wall, he solemnly listened on.

"Sh-she took the vase.. g-grandma sent her and broke it and used the shards to...to..._to_..."

Ah, fuck it.

Hesitantly, for he was about 90% positive her reaction would be bad, let go of one of her hands and wrapped his arm slowly around her back. Her muttering dulled, well good so far. With a little more confidence he let his other arm follow suit.

She was quiet, save for a sniff or two.

The entire ceiling could have caved on them then, and he doubted she would have noticed.

Well, he'd protect her. So he guessed it was okay.

The bond flickered, like an old light bulb being turned on.

"Ah... this is weird," she finally noted, voice rough.

"You're weird." he shot back, noting how her own arms were stiffly touching his rib cage, her hands dangling uselessly.

"Hmm.." she hummed, finally lifting her head, "I _have_ to save Chrona. I won't let her end up like my mom. Not while I'm still alive."

The next explosion was a bit too close for comfort.

"Not to rush er... your moment," he looked up the staircase at the room they had exited to see a gaping hole in the ceiling.

"Right." neither one moved.

"**SOUL!** WHERE ARE YOU? SOUUUULLLL!"

"_Black Star_." two voices realized, one a snort, one a groan.

Soul finally let go, Maka was surprised to feel a little disappointed. So surprised she wanted to slap herself to make sure she wasn't allergic to _chloroform_ or something. Some of that disappointment vanished when a hand returned to gripping her wrist, pulling her along without any resistance this time.

"Guess we can take a detour by Liz and Patty," Soul finally said, casual. Maka's lip twitched.

* * *

It wasn't completely unexpected when Soul and Maka stumbled upon Death Scythe in mid-battle with Medusa. Soul was a little sad to see it looked like he was winning when the most power guardian in the world turned around to see if Soul completed the mission.

It **was** unexpected when said guardian shrieked like a little girl and sprinted at the two full force.

"..._Papa_?" was all Maka could manage, gaping like a fish, before being tackled in to next century.

"MAKAAAAAA!"

"You'll regret dropping your guard." Medusa hissed, guiding black arrows to launch themselves at Death Scythe's totally vulnerable back.

"HYAHOO!" A flash of blue leaped down on to the arrows, shattering them in to a million pieces.

"TREMBLE IN FEAR, THE MIGHTY BLACK STAR HAS ARRIVED!" Black Star barely registered Tsubaki blocking two more sneakier arrows aimed at his stomach before he gave a very judgmental but completely justified look at Maka and Death Scythe... wrestling on the floor?

He tapped the side of his fist against an open palm, "Pedophile. Knew it."

"_Black Star watch out!_"

Soul was three steps ahead of him, slicing several more arrows with his scythe. As quickly as he stepped in, he stepped out of the fight, _way_ too interested in the soap opera developing a few feet away from him.

"Get. Off. Me. You. _Git!_" Maka planted a foot in Death Scythe's face. Soul whistled in admiration.

"_I've missed you so much_!" the guardian crooned, completely immune to Maka's shriek of rage.

Soul _really_ did not intervene on this lovely moment, but Maka was cringing when Death Scythe thoughtlessly touched one of her wounds.

He grabbed her by the scruff of her very frilly collar and heaved her away from the sobbing, blubbering mass that was Death Scythe.

If Soul had ever contained an _ounce_ of respect for the man, it was out the window now.

Father and daughter stared at each other for a moment before the latter got over her shock. A death glare suddenly took over her features.

"**You**."

Maybe fearing for Maka's suffering wasn't necesary when she kicked her father in the head, shouting so incoherently Soul wished for a magical remote that could produce subtitles.

He _did_ assume there was alot of cursing.

* * *

Soul had to drag Maka away from Death Scythe's lifeless corpse, pacifying her with promises of 'seeing him later' and 'to save Chrona first'.

Maka muttered the entire way to the Ferris wheel, not even batting an eye to the robotic clown bodies strewn across the field, climbing over some like they were very uninteresting rocks. Soul followed, keeping his amusement in check so she wouldn't feel it through the bond.

Ah, it was good to have her back.

He paused, confused at his own thought process.

"Little Shit, you coming? _Can't believe_ he had to be here of all places... swear I'm gonna break his friggin neck if he even steps within 5 feet of me.."

Two dots with cow boy hats stood on top of the large structure, back to back and firing with a fury only a woman scorned could possibly accomplish.

Clown after clown fell from the wheel to cascade down the lengthy height and join its dead companions at the bottom.

Soul was just wondering how clowns there _were_ when Maka pointed out a very important question.

"If they're over there," she pointed at the top of the Ferris wheel for emphasis, "Then where's-"

"LOOK OUT!"

And he pushed her to the ground.

Huh... she'd done it. That's what she thought as she falls to the ground.

This wasn't supposed to happen, she promised herself it _wouldn't_ happen. Not since her dad abandoned her, not since her mom killed herself. But there she went again, doing irrational things.

How the _hell _had Soul managed to make her care about him? She was doing perfectly fine _not_ giving a shit.

Until now.

Apparently, the world likes to torment her, and slows time to where Maka can almost count every blood drop that splatters the ground. She can only stare in horror as Chrona gave a chilling laugh, before jumping away at a rain of bullets originating from the top of the Ferris wheel.

She screamed his name before either hit the ground, scrambling to reach him. He doesn't respond, and blood was spreading all over his orange shirt and on to the ground.

She rips at the skirts of her dress, _something_ to stop the blood, trying to sound reassuring but utterly failing when her words come out in broken sobs. He doesn't seem to hear her, as he probably would have made fun of her by now.

His eyes stared vacantly up at the red and orange tinged sky, slowly losing its reddish hue the further the sun sunk behind distant hills. It was no use. There could have been a _hundred_ dresses and it still wouldn't stop the bleeding.

When the tip of the sun disappeared, his eyes closed.

"No no no no _no _**NO**! _Soul_!"

As if in response, the patch above his heart glowed. She stared in growing horror when a white ball drifted calmly from his still warm body, to peacefully rest within eye level.

His _soul_.

That's it, she can't even see anymore. Her vision had blurred beyond comprehension and she sobbed over her guardian's corpse.

Not even realizing his blood had turned black.

* * *

+Uuuuuh... don't blame me for all the weird shit going down in my chapters lately, this story is seriously writing itself. I may or may not be blending this with the original storyline (I don't know really..).

+I GOT A CAR.

Response:

Yay for candles! Good to be back, and I ate my heart out on lasagna last night; and thanks. Your opinion is good (possibly because it is right). Yeah Chrona just keeps getting the short end of the stick. Be assured there will always be some form of glomp. Yes Ma'am. Gracias~. Shinigami is Shinigami, he's awesome by default. Shall do. **But I'm too lazy to...but I'll put it in bold for you 'cause I don't wanna seem like a total jerk...** Awww, thanks. I use that phrase for that one song (whatsitcalled) but feel free~. There, he saved her; muahahaha. Eh I doubt if they're reading **fanfiction**, scanlated manga won't be a problem. Thanks. I know Circus' and clowns in general are overused but I can't help myself~. It's a pretty good site (except for 'Love So Life' because they pretty much gave that manga up). Aha...coincidence, I was planning on writing a bit of (awkward) romance this chap.

Well, this story is rounding its last lap. Cross your fingers for a not-lame ending.


	19. Battle of the Black Blood

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 19: Battle of the Black Blood**

A/N: Guess who forgot all about writing fan fiction while doing college-related things.

* * *

_They were in front of the hotel, where Black Star had single-handedly ruined all her clothes._

_The first time she saw a Kishin._

_It roared its last breath before exploding in to a flurry of ribbons, leaving behind a single white orb. Tsubaki's words rang clear as Soul grabbed the monster's soul and ate it whole._

_"Essentially yes. There's no way to put a soul back in to its body once it's out."_

* * *

"_Soul_..."

No response.

"_Soul?_"

"**Soul!**"

Maka barely registered Black Star and Tsubaki kneeling across from her frozen position.

"Black Star get his shirt off!"

"Maka! Grab his soul before something happens to it!"

There was so much _black_. Like darkness itself was seeping out of his chest.

A set of hands grabbed her shoulders, shaking her like she was a jug of chocolate milk. She met two very irritated black eyes.

"Maka. S the _fuck_ out of it!"

Black Star might as well have smacked her in the face with an encyclopedia.

Oh, right.

She blinked once, her focus coming back in an instant, and grabbed the white soul hovering ominously above them. She was a little panicked when the ball felt more like those stupid, irritating, liquid-filled, squishy things that wouldn't stay in your hand for the life of you.

Maka pretty much juggled Soul's _soul_ around like an idiot while Tsubaki and Black Star fluttered with mad focus around his corpse.

"Do you want to die or not." she growled at the white puff ball. As if hearing her threats, the ball held firm under her fingers as she grasped that thing like a freaking grenade about to explode.

The momentum of Black Star's earlier distraction seeped away while Maka stared forlornly at the small light escaping the cracks of her fingers.

"There has to be something we can do." Tsubaki hissed, confirming Maka's beliefs. They were at a loss. Soul's body was dead.

Maka glanced at his chest, wondering what the point was of taking his shirt of if all they were going to do was stare at the blood which had turned black congealing around his... his...

She almost dropped his soul.

"Uuh..." Maka tried to form coherent words while shakily pointing at his chest, two curious eyes followed such.

"Weird I just cleaned the... the wound.." Tsubaki trailed off, eyebrows drawn in confusion. The black liquid hardened around the cut, molding and hardening to fit his body. Soul's heart gave a dangerously quiet yet very conspicuous thump.

"Is uuuh... blood supposed to... to do _that_?"

Black Star began to laugh.

* * *

This just plain sucked.

Soul lay on who-knew-what for who-knew-when, staring at the blackness. He supposed if he wanted to move, he could, but it seemed impossible. Almost harder than getting up for school.

Almost.

There was a lot of racket on the outskirts of his new domain, detached voices and possibly some shaking. He couldn't find it in himself to give a shit.

Huh, was that water?

It was hard to tell, the pressure was building up on his back, slowly seeping upwards until he couldn't feel his chest. If he wasn't dying, this was just plain _weird._

Well he _better as hell_ not be dying! He absolutely _refused_ to be upstaged by a snotty man-girl **whoever** trying to be all cool with his people-killing ways. The dude's hair was a joke! No one can be bad-ass with pink hair.

_Honestly_.

It took a moment for realization to hit Soul, and he exhaled moodily. Great, if he was having one of those weird, crazy fits Maka always had, he might as well kill himself. Except _Chrona_ seemed to beat him to the punch line.

That did not settle well with him.

Soul was just about to get up and figure out _what the hell_ was surrounding him when something was lodged in his throat.

* * *

"You... would think... with such a _big-ass_ head..." Maka grunted shoving her weight on her arms, "His _stupid, tiny_ soul...ugh... _would fit in his god-damned mouth_!"

"It's almost in!" Tsubaki commentated, holding Soul's jaw open like a door hinge, despite the fact she all but ripped Maka's head off the moment the meister had tried putting the soul in her guardian's mouth.

Honestly, it all made sense in _her_ head.

It didn't take long for Tsubaki to catch on to what Maka was doing, ever so Maka felt like tackling her to the ground was a little overboard. Her annoyance was over-shadowed by the fact that she felt like a _genius_ for thinking of this.

Unless it didn't work...

Black Star sat on Soul's stomach like a king on his throne, surveying the distant fighting as if he had bets on it. Maka was just about to crack some homo jokes she had reserved for a moment like this when there was a strange jolt from Soul's body. It made both girls yelp and push themselves away.

"_Ohmygodwe'remakingazommbie__**gaaaah**_-" Maka began to mutter quickly, both hands covering her ears and her eyes screwed tight like her eyeballs were about to fall out of their sockets. This was utterly disgusting even if it was life-saving. The guy had been eating _dog food_ for the past weeks.

Tsubaki stayed where she was, eyeing Soul whose violent rocking was getting worse. Suddenly it dawned on her.

"He's choking on his soul!"

Well that couldn't be good.

"Then get a stick and shove it down there!" Maka snapped back, eyes still closed.

Black Star, who had been thrown off Soul like it was a rodeo, leaped back to his feet, "Why in the hell would he choke on his own _soul_! He eats them like they're freakin' M&M's all the god-damned time!"

A strange sound coming from Soul's chest interrupted their argument.

"The blood is... bubbling?" Tsubaki gaped, but Maka was focused on the small orb still lodged in Soul's mouth. She couldn't believe she was going to do this.

"Tsubaki _deal with his weird chest thing_!" she barked, throwing herself back on her knees next to Soul. She grimaced at his mouth, praying to any super-natural force out there that he would not wake up and remember this.

Ever so cautiously, she pinched his nose with her forefinger and thumb.

"...Maka?" Tsubaki questioned.

"Guess it's my turn," she muttered, and bent down.

The bird guardian gaped when Maka's mouth covered Soul's.

There was a general gagging sound coming from Black Star's area as Tsubaki snapped out of the drama-fest central a foot away from her and tried to figure out what the hell was up with Soul's wound.

* * *

Something was being forced down his throat.

Hell if he knew what it was, it kind of felt like a hard-boiled whole ostrich egg (he was certain that's not what it was). He tried to clamp a hand on his throat, choking on the object.

The voices were getting louder, more coherent. They were shouting too. Soul would have asked where the fire was if he could breathe.

And very suddenly, the obstruction was gone. Well, more like went down his throat (finally), but he wouldn't think of technicalities right now.

His chest was cold, there was general metallic sounds coming from far away, and it felt like his throat had been abused. But, more importantly (he guessed) there was the familiar breathing of a certain someone right next to him.

He opened his eyes.

* * *

"Soul. Soul? Can you hear me?" that was obviously Tsubaki. There was no possible way of Maka sounding so genuinely concerned for his well being.

Except there was.

"He's not responding," Maka directed at Tsubaki who was a ways off being shielded by Black Star. Well that was new.

"Maybe you should slap him." the other Meister offered, not relaxing from his hostile position. Soul realized it probably had something to do with the massive black blob that had found residence on his chest. It looked a little like salve only black and shiny and felt like god-damn steel, coldness and all.

Neither Meisters seemed to notice.

"It doesn't get him off the couch while I'm cleaning, it probably won't wake him up from _dying_."

"That's because you give girly slaps." Black Star shot back.

There was a moment of tense silence.

" ...One," Maka began jabbing Soul's arm to restrain herself from yelling at the blueberry, "I am a _girl_. Two!"

Soul winced at the next jab, sparking Tsubaki's interest.

"There is no such thing as a _masculine_ slap. There is a slap, there is a pimp slap, and there is a bitch slap. Neither promote masculinity. _Three_-"

"Soul's awake." Tsubaki quipped.

"-Soul's awake- wait, what?" Maka reared back like she had been spat at, her eyes swiveling to Soul's laughter-contained face.

His smirk was wiped off when she narrowed her eyes at him, "_You_."

And then Maka fainted.

"...she left out the god slap." Black Star complained loudly to the area.

* * *

For the first time in her life, Maka woke up from a dreamless sleep. She blinked once, feeling the wind brushing past her face and through her hair, and then again for good measure.

"Her fatty ankles are fucking heavy." a should-be-dead voice grunted, and Maka realized she was being given a piggy-back ride.

"You really want to die don't you?" she mumbled in to his shoulder. He heard her all the same.

"Psh, who would want to go through something as boring as that?"

Maka rolled her eyes, peering past his white hair to see they, or he, was sprinting full force through what could be summed up as carnage and mayhem.

"What I miss?"

"Uh... Patty got hit pretty bad so Liz is patching her up somewhere. Black Star and Tsubaki got ambushed by those clowns we thought were dead. And uh, running from Chrona. How did you do it?"

Maka peeked behind her to indeed see a patch of pink slowly gaining on them.

"Easy, two parts decaf, two parts regular-"

"Be serious," Soul growled, glancing at her so she could see his evil eye.

She was not fazed, "About what?"

"Saving me... ish."

"There is no 'ish' about it," Maka barked, looking back out of habit to nearly have a heart attack.

"Oh _holy fuck_! Leg it, Fool!" Maka yelled, Chrona's sword managing to cut a part of her dress.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Soul growled, speeding up only the slightest.

Maka sucked in her breath before roaring, "RUN LIKE YOU STOLE SOMETHING!"

Chrona gave a shriek of fury when her next strike missed by nearly five feet, Soul giving such a burst of energy that he even left a trail of dust.

Soul managed to hop over a few fallen trees, rocks, and robotic clowns before dropping Maka unceremoniously on her ass.

"Give a warning next time." Maka glared, rubbing her back as she got to her knees.

"Stay down," Soul warned, materializing his scythe. He paused for a moment, "While you're at it, could you say my name a couple times?"

"_No_." Maka snapped before Chrona leaped over the fallen log they were hiding behind, aiming a strike at Soul with a wild grin on her face.

"Blaire's magic is disappearing," Soul argued, blocking two more attacks before retreating several paces.

"Tough."

"If I die you die." Soul growled, ducking before giving attack of his own that was easily dodged.

"_Tough_."

"My god, Woman!" Soul roared, swinging at Chrona with such vigor the girl was pushed back by the aftershock.

He glared at Maka, "What is _with_ you!"

He was almost sliced in half from being caught off guard when Maka stared hard at the floor with a small tint on her cheeks.

"_Are you blushing_?"

"Concentrate on the fight, **Idiot**!"

No need to tell him twice, Chrona had just cut _herself_ and now her blood was shooting at him like bullets.

Her blood was black.

Maka stared from Chrona to Soul, eyes narrowing while her mind plowed forth to connect the dots, "What the.."

Her eyes zeroed in on the black substance spread across Soul's chest like some sort of external virus. His blood.

Maka brought her palm to eye level, remnants of when she had put a hand on his chest remained, dried and crusted like it should have been, and turned back to the blood on his chest which was sleek and hardened almost like metal.

"...Soul?"

He froze.

Chrona must have felt something strange, and she jumped back in preparation. Her wild grin was gone, mouth now set in a firm frown.

"...What the fuck you guys doin'?" she demanded, on edge.

Maka wasn't listening, she was too busy experiencing Soul's feeling of what could only be described as an out-of-body experience.

_In her body_.

"_...this... is familiar..._" his voice rumbled inside her mind.

"Huh, no kidding," Maka muttered, standing up though she wasn't in control of her legs anymore. Well she was yet wasn't at the same time; if that made sense...

"..._but that is not_." Soul managed to choke out as he saw through Maka's eyes his own body glow. Without warning his body transformed and hurled itself at Maka. They caught it with ease, twirling the weapon nonchalantly.

"Huh, no kidding." Maka repeated, surprise in her voice this time. Their gaze returned to Chrona, watching them warily.

Well then...

"So... you Chrona or Ragnarok?" Maka asked, resting the scythe on her shoulder like she had been doing this her whole life.

"Take your pick." Chrona sneered, running towards them with her sword poised.

It was as simple as riding a bicycle, Maka wasn't sure exactly what happened. She coud have blinked and missed it but one moment Chrona was attacking them the next she was lying on the ground, her arm nearly severed.

"Did I... do that?" Maka whispered, simply amazed.

"_This is too weird..._" Soul muttered, while they both fended off attack after attack, "_You're almost as bad-ass as me_."

"Kind of busy."

_"You're no fun."_

So when Chrona was forced down on to the ground with a yelp after hesitating in her attack, Soul's scythe coming down with a force that could split mountains, Maka was completely surprised (yet not really) with herself.

The blade stopped a hair's breadth from Chrona's jugular, the pink-hair in question shivering from the cold feel.

"_Maka! The __**hell you doin**_-"

"You forget what I told you?" Maka asked loudly, withdrawing the blade. Chrona looked up at her through her tears.

"M-Maka I'm _sorry_.."

"I said I would get you out of here. Looks like Ragnarok is gone, whatever the hell that means. Maybe Papa did something useful for once and ki- err, _dealed_ with your mom."

"_Maka I don't like this-_"

"Shut _up_, Soul. Can you stand?"

"Just leave me, Maka. I'll only end up attacking you again." the girl curled in to a ball now, her hands protecting her head.

Maka heard Soul sigh from the back of her mind, and completely freaked out when the scythe in her hand shifted shapes.

It was as if the whole two days of madness finally caught up with her.

"_OH MY GOD-" _Maka was already prepared to run all the way to China by the time Soul grabbed her wrist to keep her from doing something _stupid_.

She wasn't even coherent anymore, "Buh-you-er-just _gitawayfromeyafreak_!"

"Oi, that's harsh." Soul growled, wrestling to keep her from flailing too wildly. The wounds she had received barely a minute ago worried him slightly. "Stand still will ya- _hey_, watch where you're aiming that-"

Completely disregarding him, Maka smacked him on his head again by complete accident except not.

"That's it-_ CALM THE FUCK DOWN_!" and he slammed her against a tree.

"**No**." Maka yelled back at him like it was perfectly justified, "Get **off **me _I'm sick of all this crap already_!"

It was either from the awkwardness of it all, most probably to shut her up, or because Soul couldn't think of an appropriate come-back.

Well for whatever reason, Maka found her lips being assaulted again.

Her shoulders didn't seem to mind as they slumped even though her wrists were complaining from her rough grip. The calm-the-fuck-down kiss seemed to be more effective than necessary.

And by the time Maka realized Chrona's awkward hiccup from _five feet away from them_, she had also realized their position had gone from friend-acquaintance-battle-buddy-etcetera to _not suitable for whatever Chrona's age was_.

She head-butted him.

* * *

+Uh hastily typed. It took up like 2 re-runs of "Whose Line Is It Anyway"? Sorry I know you guys deserved more but if I didn't do this now I'd just put this off until October or something.

+Had the worst time posting this. "Is it good enough? Is it drop-dead terrible?" Those kind of reasons. But then I told myself if my eyes weren't bleeding from my sockets, I'd post it.

Technically only one eye was bleeding, just a bit. GOOD ENOUGH.

+RESPONSE

Haha this was supposed to be the last chapter, but things never go the way I want them too :(. It's a 10 year old chevy haha. Too late- I MEAN. I actually had no idea how to save them so I just half-assed an excuse. Because Maka's only happy when everyone's dead and miserable. I believe I've read one fan fiction with Soul turning in to a dog. Gracias. Thank you for reading allllll my word vomit. As if it's a surprise that he comes back (I'm predictable that way). Yeah I can only drag out their awkward relationship so far haha. That's what I thought, but now I'm not so sure! **And then there's the lazy asses like me that don't even review because he/she has nothing to say**. Thanks. I'll get right on that. Well yeah I just ran out of creativity for the next decade so this became a semi-AU. Thank you. Yeah I slapped myself for that. Sorry it's so late.


	20. House of Mirrors

**Acquired Taste**

**Chapter 20: House of Mirrors**

A/N: I wasn't kidding when I said I wouldn't update until October.

Don't be too excited or anything. This is a oh-crap-better-update-so-they-know-I'm-alive type of chapter.

* * *

Soul was furious.

Maka didn't need to the bond to tell his pride, not to mention his skull, was bruised and hurting from her less than subtle rejection. He stayed at the back of the oddly formed pack, burning holes in anything that moved.

Chrona stayed close to Maka, holding the elbow of her frilly black sleeve like a little 5 year old. Maka, between Soul's heated glares and Chrona's tiny whimpers, couldn't find it in her to tell the girl to shove off.

Either Maka was getting soft or she just liked pissing her guardian off.

"W-what are you going to do now, Maka?"

She halted. Huh... good thinking.

"Uh, I'd say grab any moron we can find and run away. Unless you want to say bye to your Mum and shit."

Chrona's eye flinched, "I... rather not..."

"There is one teency, weency problem." a sarcastic voice loudly butted in from behind. Maka turned to look at him for the first time since their road trip to see him pointing at the diagonal black goo that had found shelter on his chest.

"Ah..."

"S-sorry." Chrona squeaked from behind her human-shield (Maka).

"The psycho has it too right?" Soul demanded, "The black blood."

"...I thought I was the only one." Chrona mumbled from Maka's back.

"Dr. Stein's been grilling me for the past months because of whatever the hell this is. It infected me during the fight when Wes was alive." Maka blinked at how casually Soul could toss around that name.

If she knew better she would have thought he didn't care anymore. But when all is said and done, that's not how Soul operated.

"I-it's Mother's... creation." Chrona admitted.

"Creation." both meister and guardian repeated.

There was a sniff, "Yea... invincible blood that can protect the body and serve as a weapon at the same time. But..."

Maka was a little tired of staring awkwardly at the laughing moon and stepped aside so she could look at Chrona fully. The girl flinched but continued after she met Soul's intense stare.

"But, it turns us insane."

"_AHA_!" Maka roared like the genius she was, scaring Chrona out of her wits. She pointed at Soul as if it wasn't rude at all, "That explains **so**_ god-damn much_!"

Soul's eyebrow twitched, "You wanna start something?"

"Can't start something already finished." she retorted like it made sense, "This explains why you are the way you are!"

The calm before the storm, "...And that would be?"

"You're _off your rocker_!" and Maka fell to the ground cackling like she just invented a new color.

Soul sighed, rubbing the scar on his temple, "_Who's_ off her rocker?"

"B-but!" Chrona finally piped up. Maka didn't stop laughing. "I don't understand... how Soul isn't insane yet."

"Have you _looked _at him?" Maka roared, flailing wildly in Soul's direction, "No one in their right minds would look and act like him!"

"...I understand you're not even trying to, but insult me one more time and shit's goin' down." Soul narrowed his eyes at her. She waved at him.

"You wave with five fingers, Crazy, not one." he rolled his eyes to the heavens, "Maybe it's a time thing. The insanity hasn't affected me yet. Stein would have noticed. And he should know since _he's definitely_ off his rocker."

* * *

It was a less tense walk back to the Circus grounds. Soul seemed no longer interested in announcing to the world how pissed he was and was settling for a more deep-in-thought expression.

Maka waited for the steam to come out of his ears.

"I've been thinking..." Soul started.

"A dangerous activity." Maka inserted bluntly.

He ignored her, "So if this blood stays in me any longer I'll go mad?"

Chrona hesitated, but gave an apologetic nod.

This apparently didn't settle well for the guardian. His eyes flicked downwards in contemplation, other than that his face betrayed no emotion.

Maka assessed this carefully, already finely tuned to the tricky station that is Soul. He walked with a quiet grace, more thought out than usual as if he was suffering from over-exertive self-consciousness.

And Soul being Soul that was obviously not the case.

"Hey," she said lowly, walking slower so she could walk next to him. His white ears twitched slightly, other than that he didn't even glance at her.

"You know how I said you're already off your rocker?"

He opened his mouth to snap at her, but settled for exhaling loudly through exposed fangs, "...Point?"

"So," Maka clasped her hands behind her back and quickened her pace so Chrona wouldn't think they were plotting her death right behind her, "Even with the black blood, you're still Soul right?"

He stopped in his tracks, Maka didn't bother to look back as she joined Chrona at the front of the pack. Well it was true right? Using Chrona was a bad comparison, but she seemed alright under all that multi-personality pain-craving complex. Even if she was a little shy.

"MAKAAAA!"

An unintelligible noise wheezed from Maka's open mouth as she was knocked in to next century.

"Are you hurt, Honey? Where are the wounds? DADDY WILL KISS THEM TO MAKE THE PAIN GO AWAY-" Spirit have a very unmanly shriek when Maka turned them around so she could bend his leg painfully backwards.

His fault for signing her up for wrestling lessons when she was five.

"There is no way we can be related!" she roared over his screams, "I. would rather-"

She grunted as she flung him over her shoulder and in to a soft-looking (in her opinion) tree.

"DIE." she hissed, panting heavily.

There was a low whistle coupled with sarcastic applause. Maka shot a withering look that could have crippled the very flames of hell at Soul who merely raised an eyebrow in challenge. Her eyes then slid to his chest, still sheathed in the black blood band aid (as she named it).

"Since the idiot is here, Medusa is dead?" she looked to Chrona to see if the girl was okay with that, but Chrona wasn't even looking at her.

"Doesn't seem like it. The robo-clowns are still functioning. They are controlled by her magic." she said simply.

Maka sighed, putting a hand on her forehead like Soul had done earlier to comfort her growing headache.

* * *

They left Spirit to rot and become one with nature.

Soul had his scythe out and about while leading the pack in case any other crazed parents (mainly Medusa) tried to catch them unawares.

They had stumbled upon Tsubaki and Black Star first, as they were making the loudest racket while fighting the remaining robo-clowns.

"COME TO ADMIRE YOUR GOD?"

Maka figured that was a rhetorical question and chose to turn back to Chrona, "Where do you think she will be?"

The pink-haired girl fiddled nervously with her dress before whispering, "Probably the House of Mirrors."

"House of Mirrors?" Maka repeated, "I knew she was a vain bitch but _damn_."

"More like she wants to hide from us," Soul sighed, letting the scythe rest against his shoulder, "It's a smart tactic. Too many people inside and she can escape through the confusion. Too little people and she can pick us off one by one."

"And we can't burn the circus down because.."

"Well there _is_ a forest growing around this place." Soul gestured to the trees dotting the expanse of otherwise dead things, "Something about national preservation."

"Damn tree-huggers." Maka cursed, "It's bad enough they've infiltrated our habitat with _recycle bins_."

"The horror." Soul dead-panned.

"You're darn right it is. How the hell am I supposed to know what to put in those things."

"Well I'm sure with the right people you could start a bottle-categorizing pamphlet." Soul's lip twitched as he began to push both girls to the large map near a broken carousel that seemed to have disfigured creatures for horses.

The map was worn but otherwise useful. A bright red "YOU ARE HERE" sign showed they were a ways off from the House of Mirrors.

Maka traced the route with her finger, not even flinching when a large clown body landed a few feet away, sparks and wires flying everywhere. Tsubaki landed lithely next to the board map, dusting her hands and asking if they knew where Medusa was yet because Death Scythe let her get away to 'save his little girl'.

"Yeah where is that pansy anyway?" Black Star asked, finally arriving from a...

...bathroom stall.

"Dead." was the general monotone reply.

"I told you, you should have went before we came here." Tsubaki lightly chided the boy.

Soul didn't bother listening to their squabbles, turning his attention back on the map. Assuming there were still some of those robo-freaks left, there were three possible ambush points, the closest being near the food court. He wasn't sure about Chrona, but without a gun Maka was less battle-ready; unless they channeled that inner spirit whats-it-whose-it again which was more than unlikely.

"Ooh, they're selling ice cream over there."

"_Focus_."

"Right."

* * *

There was little to say when the five stumbled upon Kid having what seemed to be a brain aneurysm. Soul looked from his friend's writhing form, to the bit of the gun-meisters cufflink strewn on the other side of the road and connected the dots.

"...I told him therapy. Would he listen? Nope, just went on about how the world would be a better place if everything was demolished."

"Are you talking to yourself again?" Maka asked loudly as she poked Kid with the tip of her almost-broken heels.

"Of course," he answered miffly, squatting down to make sure Kid was at least breathing, "I need intelligent conversation every now and then."

Tsubaki piped up, "You think he'll be alright?"

"Uuuh..." Soul watched Kid's eyes roll a bit farther in to his skull, "Yep. He'll be fine."

So Maka didn't think much about it when Soul grabbed her hand and towed her along, around the body and away from the crime scene, Chrona trailing along peeking at Kid with uncertainty. She did glance back to their entwined appendages when he didn't let go several moments later.

"How's the chest?" she said, awkwardness pressing on her own and she unconsciously clenched a fist over her heart.

"Nice and toned thank you very much-"

The awkwardness lifted somewhat when she snorted, "I meant your wound, Moron."

"Don't feel a thing," he said simply.

"Is that why you're crushing my fingers right now?" was her dry accusation.

He stopped to look at her, then to their joined hands. His gaze turned upward with a growing smirk.

"What, you don't like it?" he teased, expecting her to make one of her trademark, un-lady like comments and maybe kick him. So he was thoroughly surprised when her face flushed, her expression something he'd never seen on her before.

"Yuh-...You!" she managed to spit and yanked her hand back, stomping away. She was even _carrying the skirts of her dress_. Soul slapped a hand over his mouth before anything resembling a laugh could come out, following a respectable ways behind next to Black Star who had already started telling him about all the incredible combos he managed to do that night.

"Maka?" Chrona asked in a tiny whisper as the girl joined her. She grunted in response. "Your face is-"

"Shut up, I know." she growled, making Chrona whimper and turn her eyes back to the path. Maka grimaced and gave a defeated sigh.

There was a moment's silence (well as silent as it could get. Soul wasn't fooling anyone with those quiet snickers), before Maka grudgingly hedged, "It's not..." she struggled and cringed again, "Like...that."

Chrona peeked again to see the tint on the girls cheeks was only darkening in color, then to Soul who had a hand over his eyes to what she could only guess would be a method to calm himself. Under his long fingers she could also see a trace of pink.

"You are..." Chrona dropped her voice more when she caught Soul's ears twitching, "_Close_."

Maka snorted, rounding the corner so sharply Chrona had to dodge the skirts of her dress, "He just needs me to become a bad-ass again and go to Shibu-whatever. As if he would ever-"

Chrona caught the small quiver of her only friend's bottom lip. Maybe it was because she didn't know how to handle this, but she could only walk in silence.

"...he wouldn't." Maka finally said firmly, "I'm just his tool to power."

"But.. why are you letting him?"

Chrona's tiny voice felt like ice through Maka's chest. She gulped as if that would help and answered, "I didn't have a choice. And as soon as I'm out of here and back to my own life I can forget about these idiots..That's all."

That's all...

"...then why are you so sad?"

Maka didn't have time to respond, Tsubaki had just pointed out the House of Mirrors a couple yards away. Like most of the buildings, it was tattered and looked about 5 seconds from caving in. Broken glass shards served as a greeting by the entrance where a fog oozed out from an unknown source.

"Okay.." Soul was the first to speak at the tense silence, "How we going to do this."

"It'll be easier if we split up," Tsubaki reasoned, "Meister and guardian pairs should-... oh."

Four pairs of eyes turned to Chrona who flinched.

"How 'bout she just waits out here?" was Black Star's loud offer, "Guard the entrance or... something."

Maka bit her lip, if Medusa escaped, she was pretty sure Chrona didn't stand a chance. She wasn't really sure how Chrona felt about her mother. There was obviously a lot of fear. That much was certain.

"No, she sticks with us."

"A three person team will be tricky," Soul warned, "The mirrors are a problem."

"Then break the mirrors." Maka said, close to a growl, and pulled out a gun from-

"The _fuck?_" Black Star yelled, pointing at her in accusation.

She blinked, all innocence, "What?"

"You had a gun this _whole god damn time_ and-" Soul cut off in horror, "Where did you pull that thing out from?"

Maka rolled her eyes, "It's called a sling. It's used to hold things. Like guns." she lifted her tattered skirt to show the brown straps right above her knee, "Papa was trying to be sneaky about it."

"Waita waita minute," Black Star held up a hand like he was stopping traffic, "Your _dad_ stuck that thing up your-"

"Please!" Maka interrupted in exasperation, "It's a gun not a _sex toy_ can we move on?"

She stormed in to the House of Mirrors without a second glance, dragging Chrona along with her. Soul numbly trailed after her while pondering the variety of weapons women could have on their person.

"What else are you hiding?" he asked in suspicion when the two girls rounded a corner.

"It was just a hand gun keep your pants on." she responded in her impatience, "Doesn't look like we should break the mirrors."

Unless they wanted an avalanche of broken glass to rain on them. Even the broken ceiling had cracked mirrors above. Soul could see behind those mirrors were even more mirrors, was it something Medusa installed after she came here...?

There was the crash of glass and a scream.

* * *

+Hello, World. I am now back from the clutches of college life to try and _finish what I started_. Funny story, along with the next chapter I will also be working on 1...2...3! new stories. Not that they're getting anywhere.

+Well the ending was supposed to be chapter 20. That's obviously not happening.

+REVIEW/RESPONSE:

Awww, gracias. So sorry I'm a bit (a lot) late; will try to write faster! Shall do. Yes, terribly sorry for the inconsistency. Oh thank god... and thank you. Nope can't say I have, I believe the only other story I've read about Soul turning in to a dog would be from Poisoned Scarlet (you probably heard of her; if not... well you probably have). Thank you very much! Holy moly, thanks! I love your name, and thank you. Yeah I have no idea how old he/she is anyways. IM SORRY I will try. Oh golly, just pictured Maka with a big ass chain. Not weird at all and thank you. ...What kind of cookie? Kissing=good :). Thanks! Sorry it's so late! Well right now I should be reading for my critical thinking class BUT I DON'T GIVE A DAMN :D. Thank you, I will try!

+And if you're reading this right now thank you for sticking with this story for so long. This was definitely my first shot at an actual story with a story line and I'm so happy all of ya'll think I did an okay job. I will definitely try getting the next (and maybe last?) chapter up sometime this month. I would say this week but you know what they say about making promises you don't know if you can keep...


	21. Shattered Glass

_Acquired Taste_

_Chapter 21: Shattered Glass_

* * *

"Well, fuck."

Soul turned his attention upwards, warily glancing at the hanging glass, to see a big mass of... of...

"Maka?"

"Fuck."

Well that was a good response as any, he positioned his scythe incase Weirdo #5 (Medusa) decided to pop up. "I'm gonna get you down."

"Fuckity, fuck, fuck."

Okay, maybe she was beyond hope.

Soul was pondering whether or not to save her and risk his beautiful face getting damaged when a choked cough came from the floor.

"Oh, geez!" Soul rushed to Chrona, lying in a bed of broken glass and black blood.

"I'm fine," she wheezed, "Save Maka-"

She choked again and managed to say, "Hurry!"

Soul wondered if it was okay to leave her there, but then he saw her wounds begin to seal, the black blood beginning to sizzle, and he realized Chrona's Black Blood was far more sophisticated than his own.

Oh right. Save Maka.

He gingerly moved Chrona out of the way, in case more glass were to fall on her while she was still healing, and turned to the strange bulge of black arrows that formed a very lumpy silhouette of a person. It looked significantly smaller than before, as if the arrows were slowly closing in to crush the life out of...

Oh.

"You still alive?" he waited for the reassuring curse word. When there was none he figured now was a good a time as any and leaped straight at the strange cocoon.

Instantly more arrows leaped from the darkness, attempting to contain him just like his Meister. He managed to swipe them away with his weapon before one snagged his ankle. He growled as it began to swing him down to the ground and instead of saving himself, lopped at the arrows that kept Maka suspended.

They shredded, evaporating where the blade touched it, before the mass began to dangle unsteadily.

"If I die Ima fucking kill you!" was the muffled death threat from the blob.

"Get in line." a smooth voice responded from the ground.

Soul managed to catch a glimpse of blonde before hitting the ground hard.

* * *

This was worse than leather.

Maka decided as she struggled against her binds. She paused when a sickening crunch reached her ears, and her eyes widened as the implications caught up with her.

Oh _hell_ no!

He wasn't dying the moment after she saved his ass! She struggled harder this time, screaming every foul name she knew at Medusa.

"Let me out of this thing!" She heard nothing beyond her prison besides the sound of tinkling glass.

No.

No, no, no, no. Soul can't be dead. No. It was just a little fall right? If that head of his could survive years of brain damage surely he..

"_Soul!_"

The arrows tightened again and what little air Maka could force in to her lungs was crushed out. She choked, seeing stars even though it was pitch black. She was going to pass out again. She knew it. But for once, she felt like she wasn't going to wake up this time.

As if in confirmation, the blackness constricted even tighter, and she figured closing her eyes was a good move. That was when she heard Medusa, in that stupid overly-dramatic whisper of hers.

_"I'm going to enjoy killing you, Dog Boy."_

Maka was just working up a scream, when an even more self-egotistical voice blasted through Maka's eardrums.

"Over my dead body!"

Ugh. Black Star.

If Maka had the energy, she would have rolled her eyes. There was a shriek, followed by several strange sounds that involved metallic ringing and possibly hissing.

And suddenly she was falling.

Instead of feeling the hard ground, she landing in a pair of what she could only hope was outstretched arms.

"I got you, Maka." Tsubaki's muffled voice said through the fabric before the sounds of tearing.

Maka winced when the black was replaced by a white light.

Uh oh. That can't be good.

Cliché though it was, no one ever said it wasn't true, "I'm not dead right?"

"No, I think it's morning." Tsubaki turned her head up to the gaping hole in the ceiling where the morning rays streamed through.

"Guess I'll never find out," Maka muttered to herself which Tsubaki tilted her head curiously at but didn't question. From a ways off Maka could see Black Star and even Kid, standing over something. She had a few guesses at what it was. Or who.

Than her ribs began to pulsate.

"Ow." Maka said, surprised.

Tsubaki frowned, laying Maka down on her back, "You might have a bruised bone or two, those arrows were crushing you to death."

"I'll manage," Maka sighed, "How's Soul?"

Tsubaki checked over her shoulder, "He's out cold. We came just as Medusa was about to spear him through."

"Ah," Maka responded simply. But her real response travelled through more silent channels. Tsubaki could pick up the hint though, and merely smiled at Maka's wordless _thank you_.

It took another moment until Maka could fully stand, supported by Tsubaki. Soul was still out cold, and being carried by Black Star. He as too tall though, and his feet dragged on the ground.

"Chrona?" Maka finally realized, and turned to see the small girl standing in the shadows still.

"Chrona, come on. Let's go back." she waved off Tsubaki's help and limped over to her. Chrona didn't respond, staring morosely at the ground. Maka was about to ask what's wrong. But as that was a stupid question, since her mother just got whacked, she silently offered her hand. Chrona finally looked up, seeing Maka as if for the first time. Her lips twitched in to a smile and she reached to grasp Maka's hand.

There were many things that could have happened at that moment.

Chrona could have taken it, been welcomed in to Shibusen.

She could have made friends with Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Kid, Patty, Liz, but not Maka since they were already friends.

She could have been free from this hellish circus.

She could have.

Fate wouldn't let her.

A hand shot out from the darkness, it snatched at Chrona's hand before morphing in to a snake. Chrona barely had time to stare at the black blood welling up from the puncture wound before being yanked away.

Maka stared as the snake withdrew until it resembled an arm once more, connected to a very alive Medusa.

Four pairs of eyes returned to the limp corpse by Black Star's feet, that quickly morphed in to a writhing black mass of arrows that melted in to an ink-like substance.

"Chro-"

An explosion knocked Maka off her feet, and by the time she could find her bearings, a hand grasped at her chin. Sharp nails dug in to her neck.

"You can't kill me so easily," the familiar vain voice hissed in to her ear, "Me killing you on the other hand.."

Maka watched as a black arrow, sharper than the usual, rose from behind Medusa, pointing straight at her.

"Maka!" and then Chrona appeared, raising her sword to slice her mother in two. Medusa was too fast though, and darted away, her eyes but mere slits, "You dare attack your own mother!"

Chrona didn't respond, staring down Medusa as if it didn't matter. But Maka knew better, she saw how Chrona's legs shook. Maka got up to help her, help this scared girl with the pink hair and the insane mother.

Because no one was there when another scared girl with blonde hair needed help.

"No! Maka!" she felt a familiar arm snag around her waist, turned to the vivid red eyes that was Soul, as he retreated from the fight. More explosions blossomed in his wake and fire roared to life all around.

The circus was collapsing.

"LET ME GO!" Maka bellowed, clawing at his arm, kicking at his legs. His stride did not waver, and she watched helplessly as the two figures surrounded by fire disappeared from her sight all together.

She watched Chrona give a small smile filled with tears in her direction before the fire separated them.

"CHRONA!"

* * *

1 week later

* * *

1 month later

* * *

1 year later

Maka packed her bags quietly. The usual crowd of student filtered out of the classroom, eager to get to lunch. She stood, glancing at the window where that one idiot ninja who she dared not remember the name of once occupied, and deftly walked out of the classroom.

A year.

One year had passed since that hellish incident. Maka sat at her usual empty bench away from the noise, looking over some English notes. She munched on PB&J as she went over Shakespeare for the 10th time.

One year had passed since Maka left behind that crazy, beautiful, dangerous world. The moment they were back on Death City's soil, Maka requested an audience with Lord Death. Soul was taken to the hospital and hadn't woken before she left.

She requested to simply forget about this incident. She wanted nothing to do with it. Lord Death nodded in understanding, asking when she was to leave. She responded with a definite "immediately". Her wounds were bandaged, her ride was called.

She didn't look back.

It was only as the car cruised across the familiar bridge to her hometown did the driver finally speak up.

"Pine Crest apartments right?"

"Yea." she said distantly, absorbed with the shops and people. Normalcy at last.

"Ain't it a little run down for a girl living alone?"

"I guess." she answered simply, it was a problem everyone who knew the place asked.

"You're not scared of robbers or rapists or nothing?" he pressed.

What was _with_ this driver?

Something clunked in to place. Eyes narrowed, she answered through her teeth, "I can handle myself."

"But you're just a little bit of a thing, why not-"

"Papa. What are you doing here?" and why aren't you becoming a forest god or something.

"Just driving my little girl home." he replied defensively, sniffing as if he was about to cry. Maybe he already was.

Maka rolled her eyes, "You didn't seem to care the last time you dropped me off, or don't you remember?"

He remembers, she can tell by the set in his shoulders. How, at the age of 14, he dropped her off in front of the building with a single suitcase and a checkbook, and drove away without a single word.

"Things were complicated back then." Spirit admitted evasively, turning a corner.

"Yeah with your wife dying and all. No idea how that feels." Maka bit out, glaring hard at the window.

There was a short pause, then a sigh, "Maka. You know I have no excuse why I left-"

"For a woman."

"-but I did want you to live with me after what happened to your mother." he ignored her, unusually serious.

"That's great and all, but one problem. I don't _want_ to live with you."

Another long stretch of silence.

"Your mother was a great Meister, you know."

"..._What_?"

"Yes, my Meister in fact." Spirit said a matter-of-factly.

"Then how could you..." Maka stuttered, she couldn't say it.

How could you leave her?

"Meisters..." Maka began slowly, "Meisters and their Guardians. Aren't they supposed to always be together?"

Look at Black Star and Tsubaki. Look at Kid and the two blonde bimbos. Look at Soul-

Maka stopped short, feeling like she reached the conclusion of her idiot father's point.

"That's right, Meisters and Guardians are bound by something. Something that can't be put in to words. And I abandoned it." The car slowed to a stop, Maka realized she was in front of the apartments.

"Well, Ms. Albarn. Have a nice day."

* * *

Open door, throw keys somewhere, place book bag on counter, start the shower, actively not glance at the arm rest by the couch.

It was a routine, a routine Maka liked.

She dried her hair in the steamy mirror, pulling her shirt over the barely visible scars, her only reminder that shit went down. What did her father mean to tell her back then?

That she was doing what he was? Following in her father's footsteps? Abandoning Soul?

She didn't want to be like him. And he knew that, still he was the last person to play that "you have a boy waiting for you" card. Either way, Soul wasn't waiting for her. He was sitting in Crazy Town with his freedom back and not giving her a second thought.

According to that creepy, and not all too sane, doctor the curse had lifted before they arrived back in Shibusen, and by that time Soul was out like a light.

Meaning Medusa was dead, as for Chrona...

_Crack!_

Maka stared, horrified, at the fist that was her very own that splintered the mirror. Her wide eyes were reflected back 10 times over, divided by jagged lines.

"...Ah, geez." she stormed out of the bathroom in case the mirror decided to punch back (because, apparently, they do that), running her hand under the kitchen sink.

Dammit. Idiot mirrors. Idiot anger management problems. Idiot everything.

It wasn't until after dinner does she go to assess the damage in the bathroom. She was entirely unprepared for the flashback to hit her. It only took one glance at the broken shards on the wall to remember Chrona standing amongst a field of broken glass.

Maka ran out of her apartment.


	22. Bugs, Brownies, and Barnacles

_Acquired Taste_

_Chapter 22: Bugs, Brownies, and Barnacles_

A/N: I just got, like, the worst paper cut. Ugh.

* * *

Where the hell am I?

Maka paused in her panting, looking around. She was somewhere between her home and _where the fuck ever_. The usual warm fall breeze was gone, replaced by a biting chilly air that had her gripping her elbows.

Maybe a jacket was a good idea.

Maybe fleeing a fight with a broken mirror wasn't exactly smart.

Maybe she was going insane.

But first...

"I'm hungry." she groaned to the street lamp. It responded with the usual hum of electricity. She glared at the stray insects flapping around the glass in a last effort attempt of staying warm for the year. Well, at least her hair had dried out in her grand escape via running half-naked across town.

What did people call it? Streaking? Maka rolled her eyes at the terminology, weren't there plenty of other equally humiliating things to do without getting pneumonia and scarring the eyes of innocent children all over the universe?

Like doing the truffle shuffle, or serving brownies in a bunny suit or...

Crap.

_"Hmmm.." Maka's mother eyed the tray critically, "Yep. Burnt."_

_"Awwww," Maka whined from her place on the stool, as she was too small to see over the counter._

_"Haha, no helping it I guess. How about we just have some ice cream?"_

_"But I wanted brownies!" Maka piped up as her mother went to the fridge._

_"We can make them tomorrow, come on I thought cookie dough flavor was your favorite?"_

_Maka stared longingly at the charred remains in the tray, "Aw, ok."_

_She turned around to see her mother standing in the middle of the kitchen, dripping in blood and tar._

_"Why couldn't you save me, Maka?"_

_The figure warped in to Chrona, "Why?"_

"STOP IT!"

Ah... she was on the ground, screaming at bugs. Maka laid on the cement, not trusting herself to be able to control her legs, her hands glued to her ears. Hm.. that was a first. But as quickly as the memory came, it left.

Yeah. She's crazy.

There really was no denying it at this point. Maka sat up slowly, gripping the lamp post for moral support even though it was a little preoccupied with several winged creatures. Her strange memories used to be so bad she couldn't come to school. They only really _stopped_ all together when Soul...

When Soul was with her.

That idiot. Being so almost-normal with his own freaky problems and his own insanity. What the hell was his secret? Being a _dog_ was one, she guessed. Having friends would be another, though the fact that they actively try to smash his face in on a regular basis may be hindering that reason. But maybe it was something more than that? Maybe he can truly smile the way he does, live the way he wants, maybe it's all because-

An alarm clock coming to life made Maka jump out of her skin, followed by a groan before someone turned it off. As if on cue, the street lights turned off in wake of the rising sun.

Fuck!

"I need to get home." Maka wanted to bestow the pole the honor of having a forehead bashed onto its cylindrical body. However, it may or may not be Tuesday.

School.

Homework.

Test.

"Shitshitshitshitshit," Maka chanted to the skies while racing down a random sidewalk. She had recognized the mangled tree at the corner of the street. It was something she had tried to remember the name of before she found...

Her footsteps slowed before halting all together. She gazed down the familiar alley, where empty fruit boxes were piled by the back door of what she guessed was a market. Even though it wasn't raining the nostalgia of this place was overwhelming. This was where she had found-

...What was she _doing_?

"Test, you idiot!" Maka mentally berated herself before resuming her monosyllable chant as she raced down the streets.

What the fuck was the test about again?

History or... math or... ah what the fuck! If it was physics she was _doomed_ because that was her first class of the day.

Maka was wondering if she should call in sick as she ascended the staircase to her apartment when she smacked foreheads with what could possibly be the love-child of a brick wall and Chuck Norris. She laid on the landing, dazed. Curses gargled around her, competing with the ringing in her ears, before she could pick up a familiar tone in that voice.

"Black Star?"

"You MORON."

Yea, it's Black Star.

Maka was on her feet immediately, pointing a finger at him and only wishing it was a gun, "What are _you_ doing here?"

The blueberry sat on the steps, rubbing his forehead vigorously while simultaneously glaring at her, "Why the fuck else? For YOU, Dumb Shit!"

"Look who's talking!"

"Then bring me a mirror! Unless you already broke it too-"

She gaped at him, "_You were in my apartment-?"_

"The door was open!"

"_So?_"

"Have you _seen_ where you live? Tsubaki thought you were robbed or murdered or-"

"_Tsubaki's_ here?!"

"Yeah and she brought _you_ jam." he looked at her like it totally was unfair.

She couldn't blame him. Her jam was fabulous.

Off topic.

"Lord Death said no contact!" she brought up a valid point.

Black Star gave her a pointed look, "Do any of us look like we care about rules?"

Not really?

"Isn't he your _god _or something?"

"Psh. I'm my own god. I mean, have you seen these biceps?"

"That's enough Black Star," a feminine voice said from the landing above, Tsubaki stepped in to view.

Ah, bless her. She could hear the clink of jam bottles in that bag.

"Maka, we're here to take you back."

"Back?" Maka repeated in confusion, attention span torn between beautiful toast with apricots and the fact that her personal living nightmare decided to give her a house call.. stair call, whatever.

She felt arms grip her from behind and _his_ voice mutter in her ear, "Home. Of course."

She made an unsightly noise that Black Star would probably tease her about later but what mattered was his red eyes gazing at her with such a strange intensity and some other emotion she couldn't place.

"S-s..."

Her head had received enough abuse that day, even though the day had barely started, but it felt strangely _good_ when he pressed his forehead against hers, "Come home, Maka."

Something clunked to place. Like_ everything._

"_No_!"

* * *

It took three highly trained Meister/Guardians and a bag filled with jam to wrestle Maka back in to her apartment.

"What the hell are you wearing anyway? Isn't it like zero degrees outside?"

"BITE ME."

"Yep. It's Maka. Couldn't recognize her without her character print pajamas."

"They are obviously bad luck if _you _keep seeing me in them!"

"Just sit her down on the couch. Maka? How 'bout some breakfast?" Tsubaki asked gently.

To insult or not to insult Tsubaki.

That is the question.

"No! Yes! I don't know!" Maka threw herself on to the couch, covering her eyes. They would never go away. That much was certain. Just eat their jam and ignore the rest. Good plan.

Great plan.

Brilliant plan.

"Maka."

"..."

She heard Soul sigh, "Maka, I know you wanted to save Chrona."

"..."

"But we looked for her. We really did, well, after I recovered. "

"..."

"But how could you leave like that? I thought Tsubaki was your friend."

She could hear Tsubaki and Black Star (especially Black Star) banter around in her kitchen/corner/shit/thing, wisely staying away from the conversation.

"She is.." Maka muttered to the couch. She felt his hands grip her wrists to remove her hands from her face. She stared at his vulnerable face for a moment... and felt a little disappointed.

What? No fireworks? No bond rates soaring through the roofs?

"The bond is broken." she whispered, more to herself. His grim silence confirmed it.

"How-"

"When you chose to leave." he answered simply, almost indifferent. He looked away from her as he explained, "There was no official bond to begin with."

"If.. if the curse is lifted, and the bond is broken... why are you here?"

"That. Should be obvious."

Maka was just about to complain how it wasn't when Tsubaki's bright voice chirped from the kitchen, "Toast is ready. Soul? You want grape right?"

Soul didn't remove his eyes from hers when he answered, "Maybe strawberry today."

"Oh? I thought you hated strawberries."

"Maybe I should give it a second chance."

He might as well have proclaimed to the heavens he wanted her forgiveness. Maka laid on the couch, not sure why she's even considering it.

"Maka, I got your breakfast. It's apricot."

Speaking of heaven...

Maka got up to go eat when the clock hazed in to her vision.

"I. HATE. ALL OF YOU." she yelled at them.

She really didn't, but it made her feel better and that was what mattered as she ran to the bathroom to get ready. Clearly they were not fazed in the least by her outburst seeing as how before she closed the door she saw them gather around her usually lonely table for breakfast.

By the time Tsubaki had set the table, a blur more commonly known as Maka raced past them, stealing Black Star's toast right as he was about to bite in to it along the way.

"I HOPE YOU TRIP AND DIE." she could hear his roar as she all but slid down the steps followed by Tsubaki's frantic scolding.

* * *

The test turned out to be history and Maka crammed as she walked down the hallways, muttering to herself in every class.

This is what most of her classmates would refer to as Maka-mode. It happened whenever a particularly stressful thing was happening and the last time they had seen her in this mode was nearly two years ago during their first high school finals.

It didn't help she had a bit of jam gathered at the corner of her mouth, the color of blood.

"...in 1947 when the war was come to an end..." Maka continued through lunch, that morning's toast seeming long ago. When she felt someone snatch the book from her grasp she all but clawed the eyes out of the perpetrator, only to see it was Soul.

"What are you _doing_?" she demanded, reaching for the book. He held it high out of reach. He was lucky he wasn't in dog form right now or she would have squashed his irrelevant ass.

He checked the textbook, "History? _Really_? What is up with your priorities, Woman."

"It's called being successful," she bit back, jumping now, "_Not_ running around with flying pumpkins and crying fathers and other weird shit getting involved in family problems and bloody clown heads andallthethings-!"

She wasn't making sense anymore and Soul promptly clamped a hand over her mouth. He began skeptically, "Riiight. Okay. You need to calm down."

She glared at him, _daring _him to test her patience anymore.

"Look- Alright, fine! Here's your book back, will you just _listen_ to me?"

She already propped open her textbook, "You've got five minutes."

"Are you serious-"

"Four minutes and 58 seconds."

He exhaled angrily "Okay. You're mad at me because of Chrona right?"

"45% of the reason yes," she answered, going over the notes she had scribbled in the margins.

"I'm guessing the other 55% is due to you being kidnapped, almost killed, molested, and other nameless weird anomalies?" he listed in a blank voice.

"Bingo."

"Well- okay. I can't make up for that. But, Chrona! _If_ you came back with us, you can look for her."

This interested her. Only slightly. It would really suck if her searching ended up with finding a charred body.

"And- uh. Well, fuck it." she finally looked up to see him scratching the back of his head sheepishly, "I dunno. You kinda grown on me in a weird, crazy, semi-intrusive way. Does that make sense?"

"Not really." Maka sighed. In truth it did. Not that she would tell him that, "Why are you here, Soul?"

He looked at her as if she just asked him for a double kidney transplant, "Uh.. you?"

She rolled her eyes, "But why? You don't need me anymore. The curse is broken."

He grimaced, "Yeah. Uh. Did I mention you've grown on me?"

"You came all this way to call me a barnacle?"

He threw his hands to the heavens, as if asking for some divine intervention, "Why must everything be spelled out for you?"

"Maybe you should get a can of tomato soup and make it easier on yourself." she suggested which caused him to glare at her.

"Do you really not want to be with me?" he asked, and this time there was an edge to his voice that Maka couldn't write off for the life of her.

For once, she was out of words, staring at him with a mix of confusion and reproach. He brought emotions out of her she wasn't used to feeling. Anger, sadness, maybe even happiness on occasion. And she realized he made her feel _alive_.

But he wasn't a dog anymore.

He was a person, a man. Someone with feelings and choices that may or may not land her in the same situation as her mother. She could barely remember ever seeing her mom actually _happy_. But what she did remember...

Well that was those best moments of her mother's life.

The tingling feeling she got when another memory resurfaced hit her like a ton of bricks, making her tense in preparation of the onslaught. Oh no, not now! But instead of blacking out to relive the horrors of her childhood again, a single voice range clear through her mind.

_"It's not good for someone to be alone, Sweetheart. Don't do too much by yourself, okay? It takes the fun out of doing it in the first place."_

Soul looked worried now, "Maka..?"

She exhaled, finally acknowledging him, "Yeah?"

Looking more like an awkward teenager than anything, he held out his hand. He glared hard at the tree in the courtyard behind her, a stubborn set to his chin.

"Wanna be my Meister?"

She stared at his face for a moment, and then his hand.

She didn't even hear the bell for class to start as she reached out and took it.

* * *

Epilogue/final chapter coming up sometime soon or something (but definitely coming). Uh. What.

I apologize for everything.

Am I going to get kicked from the fandom?


	23. Two Years Later

_Acquired Taste_

_Chapter 23_

* * *

**2 years later**

Black Star preferred dogs.

They were loud, loyal, and everything he could want for in a servant for a god like him.

Cats were a different story.

It was not that he hated the creatures, after all what god would stoop so low as to show hatred towards a flea-ridden, puny cat? So he held a godly tolerance for them like one would to a particular food they didn't like. It didn't matter that all they did was scratch his beautiful face, hiss at him, and annoy the living hell out of him. He would remain indifferent to their ignorant, mortal lives.

However, this cat was pushing it.

"Black Star!" Tsubaki cried when the cat-like Kishin's unusually weighted paw rammed the Meister through another already crumbling building.

Tsubaki felt a sharp ache at the back of her skull that sent her pummeling back down to the ground, the force of which split the concrete in several directions. She looked up to see a blurry tail loom over her to shorten back to its original length behind the Kishin.

'_It can extend its limbs. Figures..'_

It pounced, giving a wild yowl, ready to swallow her whole when Black Star appeared stop the Kishin's head, slicing at its neck with his sword. It gave a bone-splitting shriek before falling to the ground.

Black Star landed next to Tsubaki, examining her head, "Ouch."

Tsubaki closed her eyes, "Yeah."

"You're not gonna sleep are you? You might have a percussion."

"...A what?"

"You know, that thing with the brain. Stein mentioned it in class."

How Black Star managed to retain anything while on school premises baffled Tsubaki, though she simply said, "I think you mean concussion, Black Star."

"Yeah that, whatever-"

Black Star grabbed Tsubaki and jumped before that damned tail whisked horizontally at them. "Dammit, it's not dead yet?" she heard him mutter as they landed on a nearby roof. Tsubaki took a peek at the Kishin, who was already almost as tall as the telephone pole it stood by from all the souls it had eaten.

"High speed regeneration?"

"Looks like," Black Star frowned, "You stay here, I'll finish this."

"I'm fine-" Tsubaki began as she started to get up. Black Star put a hand in front of her face and she looked up at him in confusion.

"Don't steal my show." he told her sternly and disappeared. Tsubaki caught a glimpse of his blue hair finding shelter behind an abandoned vehicle before sighing in defeat, a small smile played on her lips. If he was worried about her, he could have just said so. Black Star was always so subtle about some things.

"FEEL MY AWESOME POWER YOU LOW-LIFE!"

And other times he was as subtle as a fist in someone's face.

Black Star glanced to make sure the Kishin's attention had moved back to him from the smell of Tsubaki's blood in the air before skidding under its grotesque belly and slashing at its tail.

It gave another shriek before the severed tail began to bubble and grow back. Black Star cursed and rolled out of the way of the Kishin's stomping feet. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised when a clawed hand grew out of the Kishin's multi-tasked tail and grabbed him around the throat, but he swore all the same.

There was a flash of metal and Black Star felt the sensation of falling. He managed to land on his feet and looked up to see Soul, scythe poised over his shoulder, looking down on his fallen friend.

"I had that," Black Star immediately presented.

"Yeah, yeah." Soul waved off when his Meister landed by him.

Maka flipped her bangs out of the way with her free hand that wasn't holding a gun before her gaze settled on Black Star.

"Ew."

"What do you mean 'ew'?" Black Star demanded but their conversation was cut short when the Kishin charged at them.

Soul grabbed Maka around the waist and jumped out of the way as she was already firing relentlessly at the beast. It crashed in to the space where they once were, roaring in pain as its bullet wounds closed up.

Black Star appeared atop the Kishin's head and ran his sword through its skull. It trembled for a moment before shaking its head violently.

Black Star jumped off before a paw could reach him and landed next to his recent allies, "Dammit, how many times do I need to kill this thing?"

"Once would suffice." Soul offered.

"Shut up!"

"Not the time," Maka said curtly as she reloaded, "Finish this before 'Avid Hearts' starts or I chop you so hard you won't wake up until next month."

She paused, peering at Soul warningly, "Or do I need to remind you I can do that?"

...

She was never going to drop that was she.

"Avid Hearts?" Black Star questioned after a tense silence.

Soul rolled his eyes, dog ears flat atop his skull, "Her new drama-"

"_Thriller series!_"

"-that she's been hooked on."

"...Right. Tsubaki's been hit pretty bad, she needs to go."

This got both of his friends' attention, "How bad?"

Black Star recalled the unfocused look in his Guardian's eyes, "Bad."

The two traded a look before Soul said, "Gotcha, we'll finish this up."

For once Black Star only nodded and disappeared again.

Maka stared at the spot where the Blueberry once was, "How does he do that anyway?"

"Uh," Soul said uncommitted as he watched the Kishin begin to claw its way up to the roof they currently resided on, "Used to be an assassin. I think he calls it Shadow Step or something.."

"He's pretty loud for an assassin don't you think?"

For someone who was renowned as the smartest person in Shibusen, she really liked to state the obvious. Soul was about to mention this fact to her when the Kishin's claws could be seen sinking in to the roof's tiles.

They exchanged looks and immediately Soul's body began to emanate a light blue glow and begin to change shape. Maka caught Soul's scythe form before facing the Kishin whose large face began to rise over the building's roof. The tiles under her feet vibrated from the weight of the demon.

Maka could feel the familiar presence of Soul in her mind, "_If you want to get back home so bad, no flashy moves this time."_

She grinned.

* * *

"So how are you feeling, Tsubaki?" Maka asked, sitting at the foot of her best friend's bed as Patty had settled in the only chair in the room. The usual chatter of human traffic outside the nurse's office signaled lunch had ended though no one made a move to go back to class.

"Did Stein say when you could leave?" Liz asked, still patting Kid's back as her Meister sat in a broken heap over how uneven Tsubaki's bandages were.

"I'm fine really," Tsubaki said with a smile, "Stein said I could leave today after the tests come back. By the way, where is Soul and Black Star?"

"Not sure," Maka admitted, frowning, "Soul was called out of class today."

"Black Star wasn't allowed inside," Liz shrugged at Tsubaki's surprised look, "Said it would be bad for your health."

It wasn't like anyone disagreed.

"I...can't...stand it anymore!" Kid suddenly exploded, coming at Tsubaki with outstretched hands, "_Just let me tie them properly-!"_

Kid didn't even see Maka's foot coming as it shoved him down, "Don't even think about it, Psycho."

"Is it so wrong to want order?" he snapped, "Symmetry is perfection! To seek perfection is to save this world and all its inhabitants! Without symmetry we would all be lowly beings living off of scraps and sleeping in grime!"

So _that's_ what his thought cycle was like. Maka was thinking of ways to shut Lord Death's son up when Liz pointed at Kid's back.

"There's a footprint on your shoulder."

Maka turned her attention on kid's back, indeed her boot marks were clear as day against his black suit. However it was off center, more on Kid's right shoulder blade and not as close to the left.

Kid seemed to notice this too, "Patty!"

"Right-O!" Patty roared with laughter as she bounded off her chair and slammed her foot full force into Kid's left shoulder, sending him sprawling across the room and through the wall. Maka gaped.

"I think you overdid it Patty." Liz sighed, "I don't' feel like getting him, either."

Maka peered out of the gaping hole to see a black dot way below, sprawled out in an unnatural fashion, as Patty chirped, "He'll be fine!"

Yikes. Is that what they'd call fine?

"You're really just Guardians in title only aren't you?" Maka asked them as the entrance door opened, admitting Stein inside. He only paused briefly to glance at the hole in the wall before moving to Tsubaki's side.

"Tests are in and it looks like you're all clear. You can take the bandages off when you go home. What have you done to my workplace?" the question was directed to all of them.

"Kid had a fit." Liz said simply, leaving out important details once more.

Stein only took out a cigarette, nonchalantly lighting it in the non-smoking area, "Maka. Lord Death summoned you."

Maka blinked, "Oh...kay."

"Wait!" Liz said, blocking the door before Maka could leave. She held out an expectant hand, "Let's see it."

Maka stared at her, "See what?"

But Patty had already grabbed her left wrist and held it at eye level.

Oh. That.

Three pairs of eyes took in the sight of the ring fitted around Maka's finger, the small diamond in the center glinting in the sun light thanks to the new crudely made window.

"Not too shabby," Liz admitted, "When's the big day?"

"We haven't decided yet," Maka said, retracting her hand defensively.

"Maka, may I see it?" Tsubaki asked from her bed and Maka reluctantly came over.

Stein was still busying himself with his paperwork though he still had the time to ask, "Has Spirit found out yet?"

"Do _you_ want to tell him?" Maka challenged as Tsubaki squealed at her best friend's new accessory.

Stein hummed noncommittally as he flipped a page of his notes, "I suppose not. Nice ring."

"It's a little small though," Patty complained, "He should make it bigger."

The girl than proceeded to expand her arms to form the size of what Maka roughly guessed to be a large television. Maka turned her attention back to the ring, troubled now. She really had no complaints about it, than again she was renowned for being a cheap-ass.

Still, watching how the diamond twinkled, she couldn't help giving a small smile, "I don't know. I guess it's an acquired taste."

* * *

Maka power-walked down the hall, giving nods of acknowledgement to the few stragglers who waved at her. On her first day at Shibusen, she had been hopelessly lost in the maze of hallways and strange rooms.

Soul was a big help, though she'd rather die than admit it. He would always find her (eventually) before helping her back to class. He would even stay behind to wait for her as she took make-up classes. As Maka was immediately transferred to a fifth-year at Shibusen (1), she still had to take the basic freshman classes expected of any Shibusen student which happened to be combat, soul history, and wavelength control.

Much to her surprise and Soul's displeasure, she had excelled in each course. ("It took me three fucking _years_ to finish that shit and you fly through it in three _months_!"). She did have to give some credit to her dad though, albeit grudgingly. He _was_ the one who had signed her up for self-defense training and shooting practice; it only took her witches, demons, and her life to be turned upside-down to finally realize why.

Maybe she should tell him...

Though maybe her father, Soul, and the word _marriage_ shouldn't exist in the same room with each other.

"Hey."

"Gah!" Maka jumped, when she nearly ran in to Soul who was lurking around the corner, because that's what Soul does, he lurks, "Don't _do_ that!"

He stared down at her with an eyebrow raised, "In a hurry?"

"Yeah, Lord Death summoned me. What have you been doing all day, anyway? You better not be skipping class." Maka added the last part sternly but Soul ignored it.

"You don't need to hurry, he sent me to get you. He's got a new freshman he wants you to show around."

Maka stared at him, surprised, "_Me?_"

"Yeah," Soul said, automatically reaching for her hand as they began to walk in the same direction, "Apparently she's really shy or something."

"So sticking her with a hostile, anti-social girl with a gun is the solution?"

"His idea, not mine." Soul shrugged, "You forgot to add spiteful- OW, ow, _ow_ don't pinch me, Woman!"

"Sorry! Too spiteful to comply."

"_Ooowww_,I was just joking! Easy, come on!"

"And it's not like you're one to talk."

Soul rubbed his arm, glaring at her, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Maka gave him a look that spoke of very obvious reasons, "I would ask if you've looked in a mirror, but since you spent two hours in the bathroom this morning-"

"I had a bad hair day alright? And my hair and eye color aren't _that_ bad."

"And you look like some sort of cannibal with those teeth." Maka finished as they began to descend another staircase.

"...I thought you liked my teeth."

"I thought you established the fact that I'm a _weirdo_."

"Touché. Ah geez, I think I'm bleeding."

"What?" Maka exclaimed, and turned to check his arm only to see him grinning at her. She scowled, "Not funny."

"What's this? Worried about me?"

"You won't die from being _pinched_."

"How could you say that?" Soul demanded in mock-anger, "This is why I'm the Guardian of this duo."

"And you're doing such a swell job," Maka drawled, voice dripping with sarcasm as they finally approached the large double doors of the Death Room, "Finally."

"Wait," Soul said, tugging her around to grab her other hand. Before she could demand what the hell he wanted he kissed her full on the mouth.

"Alright, let's go." he said and grinned at her red face before opening the doors.

"Whatever.." Maka mumbled, eyes glued to the floor as they walked down the pathway of guillotines, "So what's the new kids name anyway?"

"You'll find out when we get there." Soul answered. Maka turned to him, confused. Usually he'd answer her straight out. From his face it didn't look to be anything _bad_ but...

...in fact he looked quite excited.

"What's going on?" she demanded but Soul just put a finger to his lips, smug smirk still gracing his features. Before she could punch him in his absurdly good-looking, arrogant face they stopped.

She turned to the circular platform well Lord Death sat, drinking tea calmly with one other occupant. Her breath caught and she could feel Soul's hands grip her shoulders as he whispered in her ear, "I told you so."

For once, Maka had no come back. She could simply stare as shock and happiness and everything she signed up for when she boarded this crazy train swell up inside her chest.

Very slowly, the pink-haired new girl turned to face her new mentor.

* * *

END

+(1) I figured it would take more than four measly years to gain the skills necessary to battle monsters -_-; Assume fifth-years are like college level or something.

+RESPONSE (From earliest CH22 comments to latest)

Per usual all comments are separated by the very not-lazy period.

Woman, you are one of my reasons for joining the fandom (just thought I'd let you know). Sorry, will try to stay more committed to my longer fics x_x. Thank you, and if you baked me cookies I'll become your anything o_o. Sorry it took so long xD. My paper cut is nice and healed now, thank you. WHERE?. Thank you :3. Black Star's greetings shall always be bizarre and thanks ^^. It takes 10 hours to read the whole story o_o?. Such is the fate of all stories : and thank you for the support. It's a vicious cycle of updating and waiting and I'm not even sorry 8D. Thanks ^^. I updated 8D (Captain Obvious).

+Well, this story is done gone finished. (Cheesy Outro Mode) Thanks to you guys for sticking with me and my very slow, barely worth it updates and bad grammar. I honestly don't believe this story would have ever been completed without your support and your comments have really helped me improve my writing style (I think). There will be no epilogue because this technically _is_ the epilogue but I might think about a sequel sometime later. Way, _way _later.

Aaaaaaaand. Time to work on Glasgow Smile (Cross-promo!). x.x;

See ya!


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